City of Mulberry one step closer to reality
City of Mulberry limits
ATLANTA - Mulberry, a proposed city in Gwinnett County, is a step closer to becoming a reality.
Senate Bill 333, which would incorporate the city of Mulberry, passed by substitute with a 30-18 vote.
Where would Mulberry, Georgia, be located?
State Rep. Chuck Efstration, the House Majority Leader, introduced an identical proposal in his chamber. He says, if passed, both measures will place a referendum on the fall ballot to let voters in that northeastern portion of the county decide if they want the new city.
"You’d have a greater opportunity to be heard." Rep. Efstration said. "Local control is really important. Neighbors, folks you know would be representing you on city council."
Efstration says about 41,000 people would fall inside the proposed city limits. It would border Braselton to the north and east. Ridge and Hamilton Mill roads, Braselton Highway, Auburn and Bailey roads to the south and west. And he says it would generate more than $9 million in annual revenue from ad valorem taxes, insurance premiums and business licenses. "There’d be no city property taxes," Efstration said.
What residents say about the proposed city of Mulberry
Potential future residents like Steve Zheng support the possibility of living in a new city that would sprout up in Gwinnett County. "It gives us more power," Zheng said. "To have a brand-new city is like a new chapter."
However, opponents like Mike Rogers worry what the proposal would mean for them. "The proof is in the pudding for me," Rogers said. They can tell me a lot of things, but a year from now what does it mean? How does it impact us?"
The full Senate would have to approve the bill. It would then go to the house. If the full legislature approves the measure, it would go to voters on the fall ballot.