Vandalism that turned “Buckhead City” yard signs into a profanity in the Paces neighborhood Dec. 25 will be reported to the police, says the cityhood advocacy committee.
The Christmas Day vandalism was aimed at two large signs posted in the right of way at Paces Ferry and Ridgewood roads, according to Bill White, chairman and CEO of the Buckhead City Committee. Black spray paint turned the “B” in “Buckhead City” into an “F,” giving it a very different meaning.
White said the signs previously were defaced by two presidential bumper stickers — one for Donald Trump and one for Joe Biden — and had to be replaced after being damaged in an attempt to fix them. The signs will be replaced again, he said, at an estimated $250 each.
“This is a profane attack on someone’s private property and vandalism is a crime,” said White, adding that a police report will be filed.
Ronald Eustace was one of the homeowners whose sign was vandalized. White provided a short video of Eustace, flanked by family members, commenting on the incident. Eustace said one of his sons noticed the sign and its “shameful” language while playing in the yard with a drone on Christmas. He said he hopes that such debates are settled respectfully through a democratic process.
“It’s a shame that people who oppose our ideas resort to condemning us and to vandalizing us and to treating us in an unfair way, you know,” said Eustace. “In my opinion, people that resort to insult and vandalizing are out of ideas.”
The banner-like signs posted on metal fence stakes bear the Buckhead City logo, the BCC’s website, and the slogan, “Let us vote X2 in 2022.” The slogan refers to the BCC’s quest to get the Georgia General Assembly to approve cityhood as a November 2022 referendum, which would consist of two interrelated ballot questions: one to deannex the neighborhood from Atlanta and one to incorporate it as a new city.
