The Creek Campaign, Part 1 with Mark Burkhalter

Welcome to The Georgia Politics Podcast! Before Johns Creek became one of Georgia's largest and most successful cities, it was simply a collection of neighborhoods with a shared identity - but no city government to call its own. In Part 1 of The Creek Campaign, we journey back to the origins of the municipalization movement that transformed northeast Fulton County. Joined by former Georgia Speaker of the House Mark Burkhalter, we explore the area's explosive growth, mounting frustrations with county government, and the community leaders who began asking a simple but consequential question: Would Johns Creek be better off as its own city? Drawing on Burkhalter's firsthand perspective and deep knowledge of the legislative process, we examine the political climate of the late 1990s and early 2000s, the challenges that sparked the movement, the grassroots organizing that brought neighbors together, and the first efforts to turn an ambitious idea into political reality. The Creek Campaign is a special two-part series from The Georgia Politics Podcast, chronicling the people, politics and pivotal moments behind the creation of Johns Creek, Georgia. Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast, HERE. Hans Appen on Twitter @hansappen Craig Kidd on Twitter @CraigKidd1 Lyndsey Coates on Instagram @list_with_lyndsey Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network. #gapol