Senate committee approves bill to expand Gwinnett commission
ATLANTA - An effort to shake up the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners could soon make it to the floor of the Georgia Senate.
The Senate State and Local Government Operations Committee approved Senate Bill 6EX Thursday.
Under the legislation, the commission would grow from four commissioners and a chair to nine commissioners and a chair. The bill would also redraw district lines.
"I've overwhelmingly heard from the citizens of Gwinnett that elected me the need for more local representation and Senate Bill 6EX would do that," said state Sen. Clint Dixon, R-Buford.
Sen. Dixon said Gwinnett is projected to grow from 950,000 residents today to 1.8 million over the next 20 years. He said increasing the number of commissioners would allow them to represent fewer residents and be more responsive.
Current Gwinnett County Commissioner Kirkland Carden, however, argued expanding the board would result in inefficiencies.
"Making Gwinnett County a 10-seat board of commissioners’ form of government is an unprecedented and radical expansion that would drastically alter the structure and operations of Gwinnett County government," said Commissioner Carden.
The bill, Carden pointed out, also does not include a fiscal note about the costs to make the change.
"We have a fiduciary responsibility to be good stewards with taxpayer money," Carden explained. "So, I find it very concerning that you're willing to grow the size of government, grow the bureaucracy and foot the local government with that bill."
Democrats and advocates also posed pointed questions during the committee meeting about the impact the legislation will have on the majority-minority county. For the first time in its history, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners is composed of all minority Democrats.
"Interestingly enough before people of color started winning seats in 2018, Republicans here had no issues with the commission districts," said Vyanti Joseph with the Asian American Advocacy Fund. "Why now?"
Commissioner Carden said state lawmakers never notified him or anyone else in Gwinnett County government about the proposal and he feels the bill is a "power grab."
"This is a county represented by five Democrats, no Republicans. If you look at the partisan score, there is the ability that this would create two safe Republican seats, with one-third as a potential swing if the election next year goes bad for Democrats. That's the only plus I can see to this," Carden said.
The bill must now go to the full Senate for a vote.
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