Residents of a 12-mile swath just north of Buckhead are a step closer to voting on whether to become Georgia's newest city under a bill passed Tuesday by a Senate committee.
Rep. Mike Jacobs, R-Atlanta, sponsored House Bill 636, which proposes a new city of Brookhaven if residents agree. The vote on incorporation would be held in July.
Members of the Senate State and Local Governmental Operations made one change to the bill. They banned current state lawmakers from serving as city attorney for the proposed city for four years following incorporation. The bill already contained a four-year ban upon incorporation to keep lawmakers from serving as mayor.
Jacobs, who is an attorney, said he had no interest in either job. He also backed the name "Brookhaven" for the new city, despite opposition from some neighbors who have tried to change the name to "Ashford."
The committee voted 4-3 to pass along the bill. It now heads to the powerful Rules Committee, which can decide whether to allow HB 636 to reach the Senate floor.
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