Hope may spring

for South Fulton residents who want to be annexed into Coweta County.

During Tuesday's

Coweta County Commission meeting, the board decided to ask local legislators

to change a law governing annexation between counties.

The County

Commission would like to see the law allow a local referendum for citizens

in the affected county to vote whether they want the new residents and

property included in their county.

Last year,

hundreds of South Fulton residents petitioned Coweta County for annexation.

The request was denied and Commissioner Lawrence Nelms said he would prefer

the residents voting on the issue.

If the legislation

is approved, Nelms said, another petition would have to come from South

Fulton County because the previous request was turned down.

The other commissioners

agreed with Nelms and said they would have no problem in allowing the

citizens to decide whether it would be good business to welcome the South

Fulton residents into the county.

County Attorney

Mitch Powell said he would draft a proposal and send it to the county's

legislative delegation to have the issue brought before the General Assembly

this term.