A bill that would add more guidelines to the process by which new cities could be created passed the Senate on Wednesday.
Senate Bill 453 would require residents who live within three miles of an existing city to first request to join that municipality. If the request is denied, then the residents have a year to begin the process of forming their own city.
The bill's sponsor, state Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, said the legislation would return the state to pre-2005 guidelines. Since lawmakers made the change, Georgia voters have approved eight new cities. Two more will be before voters soon, and an additional four are being considered by the General Assembly.
“What this bill allows us to do is have a little bit of time to think and breathe as we’re moving forward in the creation of cities,” Tillery said.
State Sen. John Albers, R-Alpharetta, who was among seven senators to vote against the bill, said Georgia's new cities often are among the state's safest and offer the best education.
“Before we rush too quickly to take away people’s opportunity for self-determination, we need to remember that they would be leaving to form a city because they are not getting the services that they should be getting from that county,” he said.
The bill was amended on the floor to only apply to cities that are proposed after April 1, so it would not affect the pending city of Eagle’s Landing.
The Senate earlier this month voted to allow Henry County residents to decide whether they want to leave Stockbridge to form the new city of Eagle's Landing.
SB 453 now heads to the House for its consideration.
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