The Georgia Senate approved a bill Thursday that could create a new city in Gwinnett County, and will now move to a House committee for debate next week.
SB333 could place a referendum on ballots this fall to create the city of Mulberry. Only residents living within the proposed city’s boundaries would be eligible to vote.
The legislation was passed the Senate 30-18 along party-lines, with all Democrats voting against it. The bill will be first read in the House on Tuesday, and will then proceed through the same process as it did in the Senate.
State Sen. Clint Dixon, a Buford Republican who is sponsoring the bill, said citizens in the area want more local control.
But there was pushback over the bill’s timing. State Sen. Nikki Merritt (D-Grayson) spoke against the legislation, urging other senators to slow down the approval.
“This bill has been rushed through,” Merritt said, adding that it normally takes two years to develop a good plan to create a city.
The Mulberry legislation was introduced last month.
Merritt also said residents in the area did not ask for a new city, and instead asked for improved zoning.
“If we’re going to deliver a referendum, let’s deliver one that’s fully vetted. Let’s deliver one that (residents) actually did ask for,” Merritt said. “Residents’ problem was zoning. They didn’t ask for a Buckhead City Gwinnett.”
State Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes (D-Duluth), agreed, calling the legislation “a glaring example of hasty and irresponsible governance.”
Citing points made in the proposed city’s feasibility study, Parkes said the new city would be the county’s largest in Gwinnett County in terms of land area and second most populous city with about 41,000 residents. The effect of its creation on the rest of the county should be considered, she said.
“The process for this cityhood move has been alarmingly rapid. We’re talking about a timeline of less than six months from conception to its placement on the ballot,” Parkes said.
The city would have five council members each serving four-year terms, and council members would internally vote in a mayor who would serve two years. Council members would have districts and represent between 7,000 and 9,000 people, Dixon said.
Three services would be provided for the city.
“They would govern over land use zonings, they would govern over stormwater, and they would also govern over code enforcement,” Dixon said.
There would also be no property tax to the city.
A feasibility study showed the city would generate about $9.4 million in annual revenue, from ad valorem taxes, insurance premiums and business occupation licenses. The stormwater runoff service would also be a revenue generator, Dixon said.
State Sen. Frank Ginn (R-Danielsville) and chairman of the State and Local Governmental Operations committee, spoke in favor of the bill, arguing that the legislation went through the right process. The bill passed through his committee last week.
He also urged the senators to give the citizens and opportunity to vote.
“I hope that my colleagues in here will stand with me and the senator from the 45th to move this legislation forward, and give these 41,000 projected citizens an opportunity to decide what they’re going to do in their community,” Ginn said.
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