Sandy Springs puts public services in private hands
Source: By DOUG NURSE, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (GA), 09/27/06
........ Many cities have hired private firms to handle some services, but Sandy Springs has gone much further. And the idea appears to be catching on. …… CH2M Hill is in possession of all city records and, on occasion, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has had difficulty getting access to public information. That means residents could, too. ….. The lack of transparency also could create opportunities for corruption, such as an elected official hinting he'd like his brother-in-law hired as a subcontractor, said Kerry Korpi of the Association of State, County and Municipal Employees. There's no way to tell how much profit the company is making and no way to tell how much more efficiency can be wrung from the company, she said.