GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — People living in a booming part of Gwinnett County will soon have the chance to decide if they would like to become a city.
Voters living in the proposed city of Mulberry will have a chance to cast their ballots and decide whether to make it a reality.
There are new development projects proposed every year. That has really had a huge impact,” said state representative Chuck Efstration.
Efstration is one of the lawmakers behind an initiative to form the City of Mulberry.
The measure will be voted on in May and would create a city of 41,000 people, one of the county’s largest.
Kerri Byles and her family have lived in the area for almost a decade. She’s supporting becoming a city because all the development is directly impacting her family.
“Well, my water is so gross-looking that my nine-year-old doesn’t even want to take a shower at night because he feels like he’s bathing in dirty water,” said Byles.
Byles says she’s called the county multiple times about the issue and thinks cityhood would help residents get issues like this one resolved faster.
“We’re told that if we’re able to create the new city, we’ll have more of a voice,” said Byles.
Efstration says if Mulberry becomes a city, not only will residents have a say in how their community is shaped but also how much it grows.
“If folks are concerned about new development that’s being proposed, they can contact a city councilperson who represents 10,000 or less to voice those concerns,” said Efstration.
Gwinnett County has a list of reasons why the Commission doesn’t support Mulberry’s creation on its website.
Some of the concerns include:
- The county would lose about $9.1 million in annual revenue
- The city would have to negotiate services with the county for 16 services, including animal control, elections, and fire
- Mulberry would be primarily residential – and have the smallest commercial tax base of any city in Gwinnett
Voters will have the chance to decide on May 21. If the measure passes, another election for city council will be held in November.