Northeastern Gwinnett voters appear to approve new city of Mulberry

Voters in a 26-square-mile area of northeastern Gwinnett County appeared to approve the incorporation of a new city, named Mulberry, according to preliminary results from all precincts.

The new city would be Gwinnett’s second-largest by population, with about 41,000 residents, and its largest by land area. It would provide planning and zoning, code enforcement and storm water services.

State House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration, a Republican who would live in the new city, and state Sen. Clint Dixon proposed the new city in November to control zoning in response to a proposal for hundreds of apartments next to Seckinger High School. The charter were asked to approve Tuesday states the city cannot levy a property tax without another referendum, but that and other provisions are the subject of a lawsuit over whether the charter complies with the state constitution.