Proposed City of Mulberry gets final push, objection amid early voting

MULBERRY, Ga. - Should Mulberry be a city? State leaders behind legislation to create a new city in northeast Gwinnett County are making a final push to win over voters.

They held a final town hall in the Hamilton Mill community on Tuesday to answer questions from residents and encourage them to vote "yes" on May 21.

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A few dozen people showed up to learn more about the plan. However, a hearing scheduled for this Thursday may stop the effort in its tracks, even though some voters have already cast early ballots.

Overdevelopment is a complaint of many residents in northeast Gwinnett County. It has become a driving force behind the push to create the city of Mulberry.

"Our investments, the equity in our homes, are at stake at this point," resident Lindsay Paul said.

"My hope for the outcome is the judge will declare the charter unconstitutional and stop the election," said longtime resident Steve Hughes.

City of Mulberry limits

Hughes says he’s against cityhood because he believes residents are being misled about how they’ll be taxed, questioning the language in the city’s charter.

"The main selling point that they’re telling everyone here is you’re not going to have to pay any more taxes than you’re already paying, and we don’t believe that’s the case," he said.

Paul told FOX 5 she’s confident in the constitutionality and believes it will move forward.

"It passed both sides of the legislature as well as the governor’s desk and there have been teams of attorneys that have looked at this for the constitutionality, and it’s passed all challenges," she said.

Hughes filed a lawsuit to try and block the referendum to create the new city.