HB 956 lives on

A few weeks ago, Jeanne Aulbach and I wrote an open letter about HB 956 which is a bill that would change the boundaries of Peachtree Corners in an effort to avoid potential litigation with Berkeley Lake over properties Berkeley Lake wants to annex that Peachtree Corners supporters believe are within its city boundaries.

In our letter, we had requested that the legislation be pulled and that the respective city councils of Berkeley Lake and Peachtree Corners be allowed to attempt to negotiate a settlement once the city council of Peachtree Corners had been elected.  We believe that this legislation, however well intentioned, is misguided because it changes the Peachtree Corners charter without allowing the citizens to vote on such an issue.  During the cityhood debate, the charter was presented as a document that could not and would not be changed without allowing the people to vote on any proposed changes.  This legislation makes that promise ring hollow.

HB 956 is now in the State Senate.  An article found in today’s Gwinnett Forum http://www.gwinnettforum.com/index.html#elliott provides a very informative update of where the bill currently is and what its prospects of passage are. 

If our elected officials receive no input on this legislation, they will assume (probably accurately) that the vast majority of Peachtree Corners residents are ok with it becoming law.  I encourage you to contact your state senator and let him know your views on this bill. 

David Shafer (if you live on the east side of GA 141)   http://www.senate.ga.gov/senators/en-US/member.aspx?Member=42&Session=21

Fran Millar (if you live on the west side of GA 141) http://www.senate.ga.gov/senators/en-US/member.aspx?Member=170&Session=21

Curt Thompson (the southern half of District 1) http://www.senate.ga.gov/senators/en-US/District.aspx?District=5&Session=21