Eva Galambos: The Visionary Who Built Sandy Springs
Eva Galambos: The Visionary Who Built Sandy Springs
Sandy Springs would not be what it is today without the leadership, persistence and vision of Eva Galambos and State Representative Dorothy Felton. As the driving force behind the city’s incorporation and its first mayor, Eva e played a crucial role in shaping Sandy Springs into a thriving, self-governed community.
The Fight for Cityhood
For decades, residents of Sandy Springs fought for incorporation, seeking independence from Fulton County’s governance. Leading this effort was Eva Galambos, an economist with a deep commitment to local control and governmental efficiency. As president of the Committee for Sandy Springs from 1975 to 2005, she worked relentlessly to make incorporation a reality.
For years, efforts were stalled in the state legislature. However, when Georgia’s political landscape shifted in the early 2000s, Galambos capitalized on the opportunity to push for a referendum. In June 2005, the people of Sandy Springs overwhelmingly voted in favor of cityhood, with 94% supporting incorporation. Just six months later, Sandy Springs officially became a city—the third-largest municipal incorporation in U.S. history at the time.
A Legacy of Leadership
Following incorporation, the residents of Sandy Springs elected Galambos as their first mayor in November 2005. She served two terms, from 2005 to 2014, leading the city through its formative years. Under her leadership, Sandy Springs pioneered a public-private partnership model for municipal services, outsourcing many city functions to private companies to improve efficiency and reduce costs while maintaining high-quality public services (Atlanta Business Chronicle).
Galambos prioritized infrastructure improvements and carefully managed development to ensure that Sandy Springs’ rapid growth was guided by strategic planning rather than unchecked expansion. Her administration focused on balancing growth with preserving the city’s unique character, making sure that decisions were made with long-term sustainability in mind. With cityhood, Fulton County maintained responsibility for social services such as our two senior HUD properties and county health centers. But Eva knew there was more need and saw to it that the city budget included a line item for the Community Assistance Center’s important work of providing financial assistance for our young families in need.
Honoring Her Legacy
Eva Galambos passed away in 2015, but her impact on Sandy Springs remains undeniable. Her leadership and commitment to self-governance laid the foundation for the city’s continued success. Today, her legacy is honored through the ongoing growth and prosperity of Sandy Springs, a city that stands as a testament to her unwavering dedication and vision.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we recognize Eva Galambos as a trailblazer who transformed an idea into reality with compassion and understanding for our neighbors in need. Her persistence and advocacy changed the course of history, making Sandy Springs what it is today.
More details around the redevelopment topic will be coming in a council work session in March, according to Eden Freeman, CIty Manager.
At the January Council Retreat, (insert link to our blog), many topics were discussed and the city staff and area experts presented information about the state of our city. The lack of housing for our young families, and seniors was a topic discussed several times during the retreat.
Other areas of priority include customer service and citizen engagement, public safety, sustainable growth and environmental stewardship, recreational and cultural enrichment, transportation accessibility, community appearance, and water reliability, rates and service.