A majority of voters living on St. Simons Island and Sea Island favor a referendum this year on the creation of a city, according to a survey released late Monday by a group supporting cityhood.
Rep. Jeff Jones, a Republican who represents the islands, was unconvinced because of what he said the poll didn’t get into.
Three out of five voters on the islands, or 61 percent, say they would like the chance to vote on the issue this year. The survey results did not say if those people would ultimately vote to create a city, just that they favored having a say at the ballot box.
“Incorporation has been discussed on these islands for the last 20 years, and island voters appear to be ready to settle this issue with a binding vote in 2016,” said Mark Rountree, president of Landmark Communications, the Atlanta-based political firm hired by Citizens 4 St. Simons Island and Sea Island to conduct the survey.
The poll of 300 registered voters living on the islands was conducted Jan. 18-19 and has a 5.5 percent margin of error.
One-third of those asked did not want a referendum, and 6 percent had no opinion.
Jones is working with Sen. William Ligon, R-St. Simons Island, on a constitutional amendment to allow the island residents to form a township instead of a city. Under their legislation, a township would only have power to control land use and zoning and wouldn’t have the ability to offer city services or raise more than a limited amount of taxes.
