Peachtree Corners Inching Forward to Cityhood

It's been a long haul, a lot of meetings, a lot of hashing and rehashing - but House Bill 396 which calls for the community of Peachtree Corners to become the county's 16th city has made its first hurdle through the Georgia General Assembly.

Led by State Rep. Tom Rice, (R- Dist. 51), who heads the 22-member Gwinnett Delegation, the long-awaited Bill to incorporate this west Gwinnett County community of some 34,000 residents is now in the hands of the House of Representatives. 

If approved by the House, the next step for the Bill is to proceed to the Senate for its review and approval and then on to Governor Nathan Deal's desk for the final stamp of approval.

And that means, the residents of Peachtree Corners could be heading to the polls this fall to decide by a majority vote (50 percent plus 1), whether it will become Gwinnett County's 16th city.

 House Bill 396 also spells out terms for the elected officials, sets a maximum millage rate at 1 mill and also establishes the boundaries of the new city.

Editor's note: Attempts to reach representatives of the General Assembly and the local city associations were unsuccessful at press time. Look for a follow-up with updates to this story at a later date.