Is a new city emerging in Gwinnett County? Here’s what some officials say

Matt Johnson
·2 min read
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Gwinnett County’s Board of Commissioners Chairwoman is raising concerns about how a proposal that would create a new city in Gwinnett County is potentially being rushed through the Capitol.

The proposed City of Mulberry would create the second most populous city in the county if it’s passed by the Georgia House of Representatives and ultimately approved by voters within the proposed city limits in May.

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“We would just urge legislators to put a pause on this,” Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson told Channel 2 Gwinnett Bureau Chief Matt Johnson. “We need the full picture.”

Hendrickson said proposals for new cities typically develop over the course of two years instead of a matter of months. Plans to form the city in the northeastern part of the county were announced in November, followed by a feasibility study finalized in December.

She’s calling for a more thorough feasibility study that would outline more details about what the proposed city would mean for Gwinnett County.

“We are not against city movements,” she said. “We’re not against cities in general. What we are against is having a rushed process where the voters don’t know what they’re getting.”

On Thursday, the Georgia Senate passed the senate bill that calls for the creation of Mulberry. Next, state representatives are expected to vote within 10 days.

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Current county estimates reveal Gwinnett County could lose $9.1 million in annual revenue by the formation of Mulberry. The proposed city limits are north of Dacula and west of Brasleton and Auburn.

If the proposal is passed by state lawmakers, voters within the proposed city limits would be able to vote in May on whether they want to create the city. Hendrickson says the impact could be felt across the whole county.

“We could ultimately have to raise taxes to offset the cost of that revenue loss,” she said.

House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration, one of the authors of the Mulberry proposal, pushes back against claims the city would lead to lost revenue for the county. The feasibility study he commissioned, revealed Mulberry would generate an estimated $9.4 million in annual revenue without imposing city taxes. He argues that forming a City of Mulberry could end up saving Gwinnett County taxpayer money.

“Services that Gwinnett is currently providing would no longer need to be provided in this area,” he said. “A cost savings to Gwinnett County.”

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