Statement from the May 5, 2021 Fulton Commission Meeting
My name is Maggie Goldman and I am a resident from Johns Creek, District 1
Offering my support for the resolution today that will begin IMPLEMENTATION of the Resolution that provides Fulton citizens with a piece of the American Rescue Plan dollars coming to Fulton County.
Home mortgage assistance will help keep families in their homes; small businesses who need grants to stay afloat will be able to keep people employed and keep their shops open; and our young people who need a summer job, that will help keep them occupied and out of trouble.
I am urging you to vote YES to support Commissioner Arrington’s resolution allowing the Commission to affirm and maintain its oversight in hiring and firing decisions of the Fulton Elections Board, and vote NO on the Ellis resolution.
Ultimately the Fulton Commission is responsible for everything that happens in the county departments and needs to have final say in choosing department leaders.
Since the Commission controls the budget for the Elections Board, the Commission needs to have a say in hiring & firing decisions of who is spending Fulton’s tax dollars.
With the risk that the State Elections Board could use SB202 to push aside all 5 members of our Fulton elections board, install 1 person as an Elections Superintendent and that person could bypass the Commission and direct the Elections department in partisan ways in future elections, we MUST affirm the role of the Commission in hiring and firing decisions of the
elections board so that we have as many tools as possible to fight SB202 and protect the voting rights of every single Fulton voter.
I went looking for the new Fulton animal shelter that was approved to be built in 2019, with an expected opening in summer of 2021. None of the staff I spoke to on Monday could tell me the address of the new shelter. I also visited the current animal shelter and they did not know either. I will be following up with the county manager and the board, but where is the new animal shelter and is it in fact opening this summer?