State Bill Would Make Gwinnett Commission Bigger, Possibly More Diverse

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — A bill introduced in the state House by a Gwinnett County lawmaker would expand the size of the county's Board of Commissioners and, potentially, make that board more diverse.

House Bill 565, by Rep. Pedro Marin, D-Duluth, would increase the size of the commission from four regular members to six.

Currently, the commission is made up of four commissioners and a chairperson, elected countywide.

The result, says Marin and others, is a commission that doesn't accurately represent its constituents.

Gwinnett is one of the most diverse counties in the country. According to 2015 Census estimates, the county is roughly 57 percent white, 27 percent black, 11 percent Asian and 20 percent Hispanic (Note: there is some overlap among people identifying as Hispanic and other races).

Breaking from tradition, the county voted for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

And yet, the county's five-member commission is made up entirely of white Republicans and has never had a minority member.

"It’s not that I believe in big government," Marin told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "But I believe in good representation. Better representation."

A spotlight has been focused on the board's lack of diversity recently by controversial comments made by Commissioner Tommy Hunter. On his Facebook page, Hunter called U.S. representative and civil rights icon John Lewis a "racist pig" and used derogatory language toward Democrats, including calling them "idiots."

Protesters have since flocked to commission meetings, calling on Hunter to resign.

It is likely too late in this year's legislative session for the bill — which must first be signed off on by 10 of Gwinnett's 18 representatives — to get any traction. Crossover Day, the last day on which, by tradition, a bill must pass in one chamber to be considered by the other has already passed.

But Marin is hoping to hold some public hearings on the issue and have it ready to go before his fellow lawmakers in next year's session. The bill calls for new districts to be in place by the November 2018 election.

Photos courtesy Georgia General Assembly, Gwinnett Board of Commissioners