Gwinnett Daily Post

Gwinnett came out well during a recent convention of the Georgia Municipal Association.

Three city officials were elected to the association's board of directors, which sets policies and lobbies the General Assembly.

Suwanee Mayor Nick Masino, who sat on the board as a policy chair in the past, was elected to an at-large spot.

Snellville Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer will chair the transportation policy committee and Duluth Mayor Pro Tem Doug Mundrick was elected as president of the northeast district.

With Norcross Mayor Lillian Webb still active as a past president, the county has four places at the table.

"That's a pretty good representation of how people think cities in Gwinnett County are run," Oberholtzer said.

He said that the negotiation in 2004 on how to distribute sales tax dollars between the county and its 15 cities is a model for the entire state and helped get locals in their positions.

"It helps us set the agenda and it helps us down in the state legislature," Oberholtzer said of the news.

Also, during the station convention at the end of July, three of Gwinnett's Legislative leaders made an appearance.

Sen. Don Balfour, R-Snellville, Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford, and Rep. Donna Sheldon, R-Dacula, participated in a GMA Municipal Government Policy Committee meeting, where they discussed annexation, ethics and the restriction of municipal powers.

"The issue of annexation is of particular interest to our cities," said GMA Executive Director Jim Higdon. "Our members appreciate legislators being candid about issues that concern city taxpayers."

Political Notebook appears in the Thursday and Sunday editions of the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Camie Young can be reached via e-mail at camie.young@gwinnettdailypost.com.