Controversial Atlanta ‘secede’ plan
A modern civil war in Atlanta is being led by a carpetbagger with deep roots in the Big Apple.
Bill White, 54, is fueling the growing movement by the wealthy, mostly-white suburb of Buckhead to secede from the city of Atlanta — even though he’s a born-and-bred Yankee from New York City who only moved down south three years ago.
Before he took on the role of secessionist, White was a New York businessman and former head of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, whose family launched the Upper East Side staple Beach Cafe in the late 1960s.
“We love New York, always have, always will,” White said of himself and his husband, Bryan Eure. “We miss all the friends and life we had there, but we don’t miss the politics or the policies ruining New York City.”
The Long Island native wears his Big Apple affinity for all to see: a 1977 Yankees championship ring, gifted to him by George Steinbrenner.
Like New York City, Atlanta has seen a sharp increase in violent crime during the pandemic. Homicides, shootings and assaults are all up this year in the city, according to police data compiled by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Witnessing increased lawlessness drove White to pursue the effort to make Buckhead, where the median listed home price is close to $600,000, its own city, with its own police and court system, he said.
“We had some guy come up our driveway and try to steal our car. My sister’s home was robbed and her neighbor’s home was robbed. Our friends have been carjacked. They have had their cars broken into,” White recalled.
Buckhead City would triple the number of cops in the area and pay them better than the Atlanta Police Department, which he believes is being undercut by the city’s mayor. Buckhead courts, he claimed, would not be lenient with lawbreakers.
In May, White became chairman and CEO of the Buckhead City Committee. He was chosen, he says, by community activists keen to tap into his personal network and management skills. He raised more than $400,000 in his first fundraiser that month.
The process of de-annexing Buckhead from Atlanta has moved swiftly. A bill to allow a vote is currently moving through the state Legislature. If signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican who is known to be close to White, the legislation would head to a vote. The referendum however would controversially only be among members of the proposed new city, excluding residents of larger Atlanta. White said he’s been pleased by the internal polling so far.
The plan has proven extraordinarily divisive in Atlanta and roundly opposed by the city’s establishment Democrat leaders. The loss of Buckhead tax revenue would be a significant blow to the city’s economy and accusations of racism have swirled.
“As we continue our efforts towards increasing public safety in Buckhead, and beyond, it is our sincere hope that Atlantans will remain united in working to address the challenges before us,” a spokesman for Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms told The Post. “Any effort to segregate Atlanta along racial, economic and party lines is an affront to who we are as a city.”