ATLANTA -- The state House gave final legislative approval to the Macon-Bibb government consolidation bill Thursday morning.

The bill was only a slightly edited Senate version of what the House had already approved.

All eight of Bibb’s legislators cooperated on the draft and subsequent technical edits.

The measure proposes merging Macon’s and Bibb’s governments under a nine-member county commission and a mayor elected at large. The merged government is also directed to cut spending, an attempt to guarantee that the new system would be both smaller and less expensive.

House Bill 1171 passed 150-5 as part of a package of several unrelated local bills.

The question goes before Bibb County voters on July 31. It needs a majority approval in both Macon and Bibb to become law.

To contact writer Maggie Lee, e-mail mlee@macon.com.