Lawrenceville annexation referendum fails as voters reject plan to expand city limits

Voters just outside Lawrenceville's city limits have decided they want to stay that way.

Residents in the proposed annexation area voted against expanding the City of Lawrenceville's boundaries in the General Primary Election on Wednesday, rejecting a referendum that would have added an estimated 19,000 people to the city and expanded its boundaries in Gwinnett County.

The ballot question appeared near the end of Tuesday's ballot and asked voters simply: "Shall the Act which annexes certain land into the City of Lawrenceville be approved?" The answer from voters was no.

As a result, the City of Lawrenceville's boundaries will remain unchanged. Properties included in the proposed annexation area will stay under their existing jurisdiction and service structures.

Had the referendum passed, the annexation would have expanded Lawrenceville's city limits to include several well-known community landmarks, including the Lawrenceville Methodist Campground, the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds and the JM Tull Lawrenceville YMCA. It also would have brought several Gwinnett County Public Schools fully within city limits, including the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, Maxwell High School and several elementary and middle schools within the Discovery and Central Gwinnett-Lawrenceville High School clusters.

City officials had emphasized that the annexation would not have raised the millage rate for residents or businesses. The proposal also would have reduced the percentage of tax-exempt parcels within the city from approximately 40% to approximately 21%, increasing the taxable property base. Just over 70% of the proposed annexation area is residential and already carries a Lawrenceville zip code.

The annexation proposal was the result of coordination among the City of Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County and relevant state officials. The Gwinnett Legislative Delegation approved putting the measure to a public vote, giving residents in the proposed annexation area a direct say in the outcome.

The city said in a statement that while the referendum will not move forward, its commitment to serving residents and supporting Lawrenceville's continued growth remains unchanged. City operations, services and existing boundaries will continue as they are today.