By Randy Cox
Staff Correspondent
The Gwinnett Daily Post

LILBURN - An estimated 200 people showed up Thursday night (02/19/09) at Parkview High School to voice their opinions, mostly negative, on the city of Lilburn’s future plans for annexation, both residential and commercial.

The setting was a Town Hall Meeting sponsored by State Rep. Clay Cox, who represents District 102, covering parts of Gwinnett County, Mountain Park, Snellville and the entire city limits of Lilburn.

“Part of the problem is we can’t get good information,” one woman from the audience said. “Why do you want us in the city of Lilburn?” Does the city just want to construct a new municipal building with the tax money collected, she asked.

Lilburn Mayor Diana Preston said the plans for the new facility were on the books even before annexation was considered.

“The Police Department is out of space,” she said. “We’re bursting at the seams now. We’re going to go forward (with the construction) whether we annex or not.”

One resident suggested that the annexation amounts to a “jobs program for the city,” while another wanted to know why residents couldn’t vote in a referendum on the annexation. Cox told the audience that commercial owners in the affected area couldn’t vote unless they lived in that area. And, the number of households in that area exceeded the maximum to allow a vote.

At a recent meeting, the Lilburn City Council voted to postpone any residential annexation for at least a year, but decided to go ahead with plans for commercial annexation.

“The city has done an outstanding job in this annexation proposal,” Cox said. “I want to get as much information from people who are affected by this proposal.”

Concerning any residential annexation proposal, the city would have to request Cox to write the legislation as a house bill. Cox said it could be written allowing residents to vote in a referendum. July 2010 is the next primary election in Georgia, the earliest a vote could be made.

Cox outlined why he would entertain annexation. “This is an issue that affects people,” he said. “I believe people moved here for these great schools, and these reasons are still valid. I feel this community is on the fence … the community is going to go one way or the other. We can’t stop looking for solutions.”

Gwinnett County Commissioner Mike Beaudreau also was on hand, but he had a much different opinion from Cox’s.

“I have a different perspective than Rep. Cox,” he said. “I think the (unincorporated) area is doing well.” He added that adding a layer of government doesn’t solve problems.”

“We do not stand in favor of this annexation at all,” he said. “This community doesn’t need more government.”

Preston said the city will hold public meetings, gather public input for any expansion plan, and if it looks favorable, the council will ask Cox to go forward with a bill.

“We’re putting a lot of effort, not for our own glory, but we are devoted to the community,” she said.

According to information supplied by the city and presented to the gathering, on average a new city resident with a home valued at $170,000 can expect to pay about $289.68 annually in city taxes (based on 40 percent of fair market value), not including exemptions that would reduce the amount.

City services include police protection, code enforcement, community planning and free residential sanitation.