From: http://www.stonecrestcityalliance.com/

This story has been updated. 

A proposed South DeKalb city of Stonecrest has passed the General Assembly and awaits Gov. Nathan Deal’s signature.

Bernard Knight, with the Stonecrest City Alliance, does not know whether the referendum will occur May or November. It depends on whether the governor signs the legislation, he said.

Stonecrest would have a population of about 50,000 people. Two other bills related to cityhood stalled out this year.

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The proposed city of Greenhaven, which would have 300,000 residents, did not advance. A bill that would reform the complicated and at times arbitrary cityhood process also didn’t make it.

If that bill had passed it would’ve required:

– A financial impact and service delivery study of new cities

– Also requires the study to determine the financial impact on remaining unincorporated areas

– An estimate of the financial impact on any pension obligations on the county government

– An estimate of the impact of utility and franchise fees on customers within the proposed city

– A service delivery strategy that identifies the services the new city intends to offer and how these services will be funded

State Sen. Elena Parent is hopeful the bill will be considered next year.