WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE REPORT—April 6 , 2007
Time has come for new commission districts
Growing Gwinnett population demands closer representation
By Rep. Hugh Floyd
Gwinnett County remains a national “poster child” for population growth and development. We’ve been at the forefront of progress and growth for decades; we’re now Georgia’s second-largest in population; and we keep growing year after year. And while our county leaders have done a tremendous job preparing us for that prosperity, we have unquestionably outgrown our current system of government.
A county commission with only four districts might have been sufficient 30 years ago, but not any more. That’s why I am sponsoring two legislative alternatives for expanding the county commission by two members, thus providing closer representation and better service to our residents.
Under one proposal, House Bill 741, the two new members would each represent a “super district” that overlays the boundaries of two of our current districts, giving everyone two county commissioners representing them, rather than one. One of the super districts would encompass current Districts 1 and 2, while the other would overlay 3 and 4.
The second proposal, House Bill 740, would reapportion the county into six separate districts.
One positive benefit of this approach would be the elimination of the so-called “district courtesy” voting policy in which commissioners automatically defer to one another on rezoning votes within one’s district. This policy is informally but consistently followed and has the potential to give too much power to special interests, rather than the good of the whole county.
The addition of two new commissioner positions, either for super-districts or at-large commissioners as some others recommend, would improve the commission’s decision making. These two new commission votes plus the chairman's vote would give each district commissioner an opportunity to get a majority of four votes on any issue that was in the best interest of the entire county.
As it stands today, a single district commissioner has the power to make decisions that affect the entire county, yet they are answerable only to the voters in their district. As Gwinnett has grown, our county has outstripped the tradition of district courtesy, which may streamline the decision-making process, but in practice it has eliminated discussion and due diligence and allowed renegade commissioners to make binding decisions inconsistent with surrounding zonings. These decisions are made even while disregarding recommendations from impacted neighbors, appointed planning commissioners and the professionals employed by our county.
If we are willing to hire and pay land use planning professionals, we need to have some powerful line of reasoning when we wish to override their recommendations. Gwinnett is growing and maturing, and decision making should be done at the most professional level possible.
There can be no question that these changes are in the best interest of all residents of our county. Now let me answer a charge that has been made that I am making this proposal for partisan political gain. Nothing could be further from the truth. The super district proposal would have virtually no impact on the prospects for electing a Democrat to the county commission, and the six-district plan was not drawn with any partisan political performance in mind. The goal is closer and better representation – nothing more.
The concept of adding seats on the county commission by either method continues to receive positive feedback from many Gwinnett leaders and residents. For example, the Sugar Hill City Council has adopted a resolution in support of the super district proposal. Mayor Gary Pirkle agreed my plan is “a better representative system.” I continue to hear from other local officials who tell me they are in favor of a change.
Gwinnett’s four county commission districts are closer in size to congressional districts, instead of the form of local government that is designed to be closest to the people it represents. With a total county population of more than 739,000, each of our four district commissioners attempts to represent nearly 185,000 citizens at the county government level.
By comparison, Fulton County’s population of 850,000 is divided into seven districts, or about 121,000 per district. DeKalb County’s seven districts each include 96,500 residents, while our neighbors in Walton County have six commission districts with fewer than 12,000 residents per district. In Barrow County, there are six districts each representing fewer than 10,000 residents. In another of Georgia’s metropolitan areas, Savannah, there are eight Chatham County Commission districts for a population of 238,500 – or fewer than 30,000 per district.
As Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville), chairman of the powerful Senate Rules Committee, has said, as Gwinnett counties to grow, it won’t be long before we have 250,000 people in each county commission district. We need more members of the Gwinnett legislative delegation who, like Sen. Balfour, recognize that our county has outgrown its four-district commission.
I hope you will contact your state representative and senator and express your support for expanding our county commission to meet the needs of Gwinnett’s growing population. Please share your opinions with me as well, at any time, as to whether the six-district map or the addition of two super districts is the most effective approach. Feel free to call me at home, 770-921-2735, or by e-mail at hughfloyd@mindspring.com .
This is an idea whose time has come.
- Rep. Hugh Floyd (D-Norcross) represents the 99th District in the Georgia House of Representatives.
