Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill Tuesday that clears the way for a cityhood referendum that could create the city of Mulberry in Gwinnett County.
The bill for the proposed city of Mulberry passed in the House last week 101-63.
State Sen. Clint Dixon and Georgia House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration, who are sponsoring the bill, have said residents in the area want more local control and have emphasized that the city would not have new property taxes. The city would also make way for better connection between residents and government officials, Efstration said.
“Residents would be able to actually contact a neighbor or someone who is much closer to the community,” Efstration said in last week’s House session.
There has been considerable pushback over the bill’s timing, with several senators and representatives saying the bill moved through the legislature too fast.
Earlier this month, State Sen. Nikki Merritt (D-Grayson) spoke against the legislation, urging other senators to slow down the approval. The Mulberry legislation was introduced last month.
“This bill has been rushed through,” Merritt said, adding that it normally takes two years to develop a good plan to create a city.
Mulberry would sit in unincorporated Gwinnett, bordering Braselton and Auburn. If created, it 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.
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