Before going on with this article, let's look at the population and steets of Sandy Spring City, Maryland. The city is bisected by Atlanta and is comprised largely of white residents. The town's incorporation was spurred by black citizens who viewed their tax dollars as unfairly redistributed from their white neighbors. In 1987, this perception was confirmed when a majority of black candidates won the Fulton County Commission election.
The racial makeup of Sandy Springs is one of the main reasons the town wants to incorporate. Many white citizens felt forced to live with black people. This trend is not new, but it is understandable and may be partly attributable to the county government's incompetence. Despite the racial polarization of this debate, cityhood advocates see the movement as a spirited struggle of engaged citizens against corrupt county governments.