Gwinnett Cities Hold Another Conference on SDS

The unresolved Service Delivery Strategy (SDS) situation between the Gwinnett Municipal Association and the county is still under discussion.

The executive committee of the Gwinnett Municipal Association held a conference call this week on the matter. Suwanee Mayor Jimmy Burnette, a member of that committee, referred to the call as "business as usual," but had no further details. A similar call was held in December.

Burnette also told Suwanee City Council members at a recent work session that negotiations with the Gwinnett Board of Commissioners are continuing. "Hopefully, something will happen soon," he said.

The court ruling last year, which strongly favored cities in the GwMA, is under appeal, so the status quo prevails. Cities are still paying for services they do not provide to residents in the city limits, such as police. The current Gwinnett County budget was prepared without the court ruling in mind. The disputed amount is well in excess of $10 million.

A notable effect of the continuing stalemate is that police agencies in several cities as well as the Gwinnett Police Department can't use radar or laser to issue speeding citations. This has adversely affected revenue. Also, as Gwinnett Police Chief Charles Walters said, "How many crimes are we missing by not making the first stop?