SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. — The City of Social Circle got into a legal fight with the Newton County Government over an annexation dispute.
Now, state officials are weighing whether they will block the city from participating in nearly two dozen assistance programs.
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs sent a letter to the city saying it intends to decertify the annexation of more than 700 acres of land at Strouds Creek, near Interstate 20, that Social Circle tried to incorporate into its city limits.
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According to the DCA, the Newton County government requested arbitration to a proposed annexation by Social Circle, and a panel to assist with the process was made.
However, Newton County informed the DCA, evidence included, that Social Circle’s government had continued to annex the territory before the process of arbitration was finished, an action that is prohibited under state statute.
“As a result, DCA issued a notice of intent regarding the City’s Qualified Local Government status and provided the City an opportunity to respond to the County’s allegations,” DCA told Channel 2 Action News.
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As of Feb. 26, DCA said they were reviewing Social Circle’s response to the allegations.
In the city’s letter to state officials, an attorney said the Social Circle government “totally mischaracterizes the actions of the City and fails to disclose material actions by the City to ensure that any concern of Newton County was addressed in the arbitration process and the related settlement conference.”
Social Circle’s letter indicates that Newton County’s own statement to DCA failed to mention those steps.
When asked, Newton County declined to comment as the legal matter is ongoing.
As far as Social Circle and Qualified Local Government status, the DCA has not made a decision yet.
If DCA decides to decertify the city’s status, the city would lose access to more than 20 state assistance programs, such as Community Development Block Grants, loan opportunities for water and sewer projects from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, OneGeorgia Authority’s economic development funding opportunities, among others.
The DCA maintains a list of communities that are unable to participate in these programs online.
As of March 12, the City of Social Circle was not yet on the list.
Channel 2 Action News reached out for an update to DCA.
A department spokesman said Newton County and the City of Social Circle were given an additional 30 days for discussions outside of the arbitration process.
“DCA encourages local governments to work collaboratively toward resolution,” the spokesman said.
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