SANDY SPRINGS, Ga.,None — A holdover from one North Fulton suburb's transition to cityhood could be costing its residents and the city money.
The mayor of Sandy Springs, Eva Galambos, has asked the U.S. Postal Service to update its software so that several zip codes in her city reflect a Sandy Springs address instead of an Atlanta address.
At first, Galambos only requested the change for the 30328 and 30350 area codes, which are exclusively in Sandy Springs city limits. After that, she said she'd like to see 30342 and 30327 added also.
"The post office software often has a default that puts Atlanta in before Sandy Springs," Eva Galambos told Channel 2's Mike Petchenik. "We want that default changed."
Galambos said it's about much more than civic pride. She said the antiquated software is causing her constituents money. That's because Atlanta charges 8 percent sales tax, while Sandy Springs' sales tax is only 7 percent.
"If you order something online, it frequently happens, the default will come up Atlanta in their software and you get charged 8 percent instead of 7," she said.
Galambos said she's even heard of people purchasing big ticket items in Sandy Springs at a bricks and mortar store, only to have those items shipped to an "Atlanta" address in Sandy Springs.
"One percent makes a big difference," she said.
Galambos said the zip code confusion is also contributing to a shortfall in the city's Chattcomm 911 center, a service the city shares with Johns Creek.
Galambos said Chattcomm is funded through a $1.50 charge per phone line.
She believes phone companies are sending that fee to Atlanta instead of Sandy Springs because of the default address issue.
Channel 2 Action News previously reported the service is about $1 million in the red, with Sandy Springs and Johns Creek making up the difference out of their respective general funds.
Galambos said the postmaster who handles her part of Fulton County told her he would see about updating the software, but that it could take some time.
Sandy Springs homeowner Louise Hall told Petchenik she lived in Atlanta for 41 years.
"I've paid enough to Atlanta," she said, adding that she will be making sure her mail reflects the Sandy Springs address.
Petchenik checked with the cities of Milton and Johns Creek, which both recently incorporated, to see if those cities were having issues with their zip code designation.
A spokesman for Milton said the city hasn't had any issues with its zip codes.
City of Johns Creek spokesman Doug Nurse told Petchenik the city has been trying to have postal lines redrawn, but to no avail.
"The U.S. Postal Service has been pretty clear that ZIP Codes are drawn up to maximize efficiency in delivering mail, and civic pride is not reason enough to redraw the lines," Doug Nurse told Petchenik in an email.
Nurse added that Johns Creek residents could put "Johns Creek" on their mail as long as the ZIP code was accurate.