Mulberry bill headed to governor’s desk

A bill that clears the way for a referendum on a new city in Gwinnett County just a few miles from the Hall County line gained final state legislative passage Thursday. It now goes to Gov. Brian Kemp.

If Kemp signs it, a referendum will be scheduled at an unspecified date for the people living in the part of Gwinnett that would become Mulberry, the third largest city in Gwinnett.

In passing the bill, the House ignored a call earlier this week by the county commission to delay a House vote to give time for a study of just how much a new city would impact the county as a whole financially.