Cityhood Bill Clears Senate Hurdle

In a 36-14 vote, the Senate passed House Bill 636, the legislation to provide a charter for a city of Brookhaven.

The bill was presented Monday afternoon by Sate Sen. Fran Millar (R-40). 

"This has been a been a two year process, we estimated expenditures to be around $25 million and the revenues exceeded that," Millar said.

Millar stated that the city would have four city council members and one mayor. Council members would represent approximately 12,000 residents as opposed to DeKalb County Commissioners who represent 138,000.

"The bottom line is that this gives people the right to vote on their form of government. Governing is best when it's local," he said.

The bill, sponsored by State Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-80), passed the House in February and has since undergone revisions including rearrangement of council districts and two name changes.

State Sen. Emmanuel Jones, the chair of the Senate’s DeKalb delegation took issue with the bill noting that legislation had not been presented to the local delegation. He also said that the new city was an attempt to create an all white community, and that it was being rushed.

The bill will return back to the House. If passed, it will then go to the Governor's desk for signing and presented to residents for a referendum in July.