January 29, 2010

Rep. Floyd proposes new commission districts
Legislation would increase number of Gwinnett commissioners to six

State Rep. Hugh Floyd (D-Norcross) said Friday he will introduce legislation that would increase the number of Gwinnett County Commission districts from four to six, in order to better represent the needs of a growing population at the county level.

"We have unquestionably outgrown our current system of government," Floyd said. "A county commission with only four districts might have been sufficient 30 years ago, but not any more for a population exceeding 800,000 residents. Increasing the number of commissioners and decreasing the geographic size of the districts will provide closer representation and better service for our citizens."

Floyd added, "With our commissioners trying to represent more than 200,000 people, Gwinnett's four county commission districts look more like congressional districts than the form of local government that is designed to be closest to the people it represents. I hope my colleagues in the House of Representatives and the Senate will recognize the need to improve the representation and service provided by our county government and will support this legislation."

If the proposal is approved by both the House and the Senate and signed into law by the governor, the six-district commission plan would take effect with this election year.