First, our charter will be reviewed by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to ensure it is in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Once the Georgia Attorney General submits the charter for approval, the DOJ has 60 days for this review. They can extend the review process by an additional 60 days after that. The charter team worked closely with attorneys and other legal experts to craft the charter specifically to meet the requirements of this Act. We are confident of a positive outcome.
Next, the referendum will be on the ballot in the general election on November 8th of this year. Only registered Peachtree Corners voters are eligible to cast ballots. If you are not currently registered, you must register by October 11 in order to participate in the referendum. You can go to Gwinnett County Elections for information on how to register.
A simple majority of the votes cast (50 percent + plus 1 vote) will determine if the referendum passes. Once it passes, there are additional steps required before the city takes on the responsibility of the three quality of life services we will provide: Planning & Zoning, Code Compliance and Trash Pickup.
The next step is the election of the Mayor and City Council. This will be held on the same date as the 2012 Presidential Primary, March 6. You will have the opportunity to vote for a Mayor and a six member City Council. There will be three councilmen representing our three districts and three at-large councilmen representing all of our citizens. So you will vote for the Mayor, your district Council member, and the three at-large Council members. You can see the map of our proposed districts at District Map.
After the election, the real work begins. Our new government officials will begin to put in place the processes and procedures to provide the three services we have chosen. During the interim, the county will continue to provide these services. There will be a date set for the City to “stand up.” At that point, the city will begin to provide the quality of life services specified in the City charter.
There is still a lot of work to be done. Our first big milestone will be the election in November. It is important for all of us to participate. Our future is in our hands, the Peachtree Corners voters. We are looking forward to a large turnout in November!
In our next blog, we will begin discussing the three services the city will provide. If you have any questions or would like to see a city topic addressed in future, please e-mail us at blog@upcca.org.
