The Georgia House of Representatives approved a bill today that could create lead to the creation of the new city of Mulberry in Gwinnett County.
The bill, passed 101-63, will now move to Gov. Brian Kemp for approval.
Georgia House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration (R-Auburn) who introduced the legislation last month, hit the major points for the proposed city, saying it will not have a new property tax, and residents will be able to have a better connection with government.
“Residents would be able to actually contact a neighbor or someone who is much closer to the community,” Efstration said.
Representatives who spoke against the bill echoed senators who opposed the bill last week, saying it was moving through the legislature too fast.
Rep. Dewey McClain (D-Lawrenceville) said the bill had been “fast-tracked,” and the proposed city will have an impact on the whole county, not just residents who would live in Mulberry.
“There’s 940,000 residents that will be affected by what you all do here today,” McClain said.
McClain added that he thinks the bill needs to go through a real two-year process, giving an analogy of baking a cake.
“I say, like my mama told me about baking a cake ... you bake a cake it takes an hour,” McClain said. “If you turn it up to 700, it’s not gonna bake in 30 minutes.”
In what would be the county’s second most populous city with about 41,000 residents, the city would have five council members each serving four-year terms, with council members internally voting in a mayor who would serve two years. Council members would have districts and represent between 7,000 and 9,000 people.
Three services provided for the city are land use zonings, stormwater, and code enforcement, State Sen. Clint Dixon, who is sponsoring the bill said last week in the Senate.
If the bill is signed by the governor, a referendum will be placed on ballots for residents living within the proposed city’s boundaries.
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