These Neighborhoods Seceded From Their Cities
Sally Kent
As American continues to become more polarizing some towns have been left feeling unheard from their cities. Recent pushes to defund police departments have left some citizens feeling unheard and victimized by larger government actors and they’re sick and tired of it. Now, a neighborhood in Atlanta wants to secede from the city to have its own mayor and police department after recent spikes in violent crime have gone unmanaged. The idea of secession sounds like an extreme last resort but is it? Looking at history it’s actually happened more than once across the country.
Keep reading to see the neighborhoods divorced their city:
St. George, Louisiana
In 2019, residents of a suburb of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, held a vote to secede from their local government and establish the new city of St. George. The city will become one of the state’s largest cities once seceding. St. George won’t completely sever its ties to Baton Rouge however but it will have its own mayor.
Sagaponack, New York
Sagaponack, an affluent beach town, seceded from the Town of Southampton and was incorporated in 2005. The resident of the luxury community seceded from the Town of Southampton because they were taxed for multiple services which they did not need.
Carolina Shores, North Carolina
In 1998, a part of Calabash, North Carolina, seceded from the town over prolonged complaints into services like garbage, sewage, and sign restrictions. The neighborhood in Calabash voted to incorporate Carolina Shores but continue to share fire and emergency services.
Liberty Lake, Washington
Edgemont, New York
Edgemont is currently trying to secede from the town of Greenburgh, New York. If the effort is successful it would give Edgemont its own mayor, police force, and community center as well as control over sanitation, planning, and zoning issues. This isn’t the first attempt by Edgemont to incorporate its own city, the effort has been stopped and restarted multiple times over the past decade.
Austin, Texas
Some Austin, Texas homeowners living on Lake Austin want to secede from the city over complaints of slow police response times and water issues. The effort is ongoing but the Texas Senate recently passed a bill that could help lead to secession.
Buckhead, Georgia
Currently, the neighborhood of Buckhead is trying to secede from Atlanta. The push to establish a new city with its own resources comes as the city has been experiencing a spike in violent crime in the community. Residents want to have their own police department after the Atlanta mayor cut the department’s budget to address the recent issues.