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UPDATE:Gwinnett, city dispute drags on
Published February 5, 2010
Representatives of the cities in the ongoing dispute between Gwinnett County and its cities over the Service Delivery Strategy called a press conference Thursday to fire back at the county over statements made about legal steps the cities have taken in an effort to resolve the situation.
Gwinnett Municipal Association Chairman and Mayor of Norcross Bucky Johnson spoke on the contempt suit filed against Georgia Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Michael Beatty asking for sanctions to be imposed on the county and the cities. Gwinnett County Commission Chairman Charles Bannister had sent out a statement questioning the action of the cities.
Johnson said it was the cities' belief it was the only way to force the county back to the negotiating table.
“Negotiations for SDS began two-and-a-half years ago and to date, we do not have an agreement," Johnson said. “SDS law provides both a carrot and a stick: if there is an agreement in place, both parties enjoy compliance so that state funds, grants and permits are available. If there is no agreement, sanctions are applied so that both parties would be prohibited access to state funds, grants and permits, unless a judge holds those sanctions in abeyance.”
Johnson said the hearing on the contempt suit has been scheduled for 1 p.m. Feb. 18 in courtroom 3-1 of the Gwinnett County courthouse. He said until the matter is resolved, the 150,000 residents in Gwinnett County's cities are being taxed for services they do not receive.
“The SDS law was enacted in the late 1990s at the state level to prevent double taxation for services,” Johnson said. “It is a good statue that is working in the other 158 counties as we speak. The SDS agreement is updated every 10 years through an intergovernmental agreement. While this law could seem to be a complex issue, the result is simple. At the end of the day, municipal citizens should get a credit on their county tax bill for services provided by cities such as police, zoning and transportation.”
Johnson said the cities believe it is a stalling tactic on the part of the county. It is also their belief the tax hike approved by the Gwinnett County commissioners last year, with the supplementary bills due to go out next month, is in violation of a Gwinnett County judge's order Oct. 27 that was upheld by the Georgia Supreme Court.
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