Gwinnett County officials plan to sue the state over a new law they say unfairly burdens taxpayers across the county to benefit one city.

🏛️ Why It Matters: Senate Bill 138 creates special rules for how Gwinnett County must handle services for the newly formed city of Mulberry. County leaders claim the law strips important legal protections and forces residents outside Mulberry to subsidize services inside the city.

💰 The Financial Impact: The law requires Gwinnett County to permanently maintain stormwater infrastructure within Mulberry at no cost to city residents, despite Mulberry’s charter stating the city should manage its own systems.

“I am committed to building a stronger, more prosperous future for all residents of Gwinnett County. This commitment includes a responsibility to ensure that all of Gwinnett County’s residents and taxpayers, including those who live in Mulberry, are not unfairly burdened with costly, unworkable mandates,” County Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson said.

🛡️ Legal Concerns: The most controversial provision threatens to remove Gwinnett County’s sovereign immunity for one year if courts find the county isn’t complying with the law. This protection normally shields government entities from unlimited lawsuits.

The Association of County Commissioners of Georgia opposed the bill because of this provision.

⚖️ What’s Next: County officials will challenge the law in court, arguing several provisions are unconstitutional and unfairly target Gwinnett County taxpayers.

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B.T. Clark is the Publisher of The Georgia Sun and author of Principles Are Like Pants… You Ought to Have Some. Over two decades in journalism, he has served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc., earning multiple awards along the way. His work has appeared in newspapers across the state, including The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal.