East Cobb cityhood leader: Finance review ‘confirms’ viability

One of the leaders of a committee exploring cityhood in East Cobb said an independent review of a financial feasibility study released this week “confirms” that the resources exist to deliver what the group has long maintained a proposed city can do:

Lower taxes and expand services.

David Birdwell, East Cobb Cityhood leader
David Birdwell

David Birdwell of the Committee for Cityhood in East Cobb told East Cobb News that “there’s a lot more” he needs to absorb about the independent review, but “it confirms to me that a city is financially viable.”

What’s being called the Independent Finance Group issued its findings on Wednesday (summary, full report).

The IFG, made up of five members with finance and legal expertise, said while a Georgia State University study commissioned by the cityhood group (read it here) had some flaws, a tax base exists in East Cobb for most of what the cityhood forces have in mind.

“The advocates for cityhood have always encouraged the residents of East Cobb to dig into the facts and draw their own conclusions,” Birdwell said. “That’s what the Independent Finance Group did.”

“Cityhood would certainly give East Cobb more local control over issues such as zoning, but this study is one more strong argument that cityhood will also bring lower taxes and more police protection.”

The IFG did recommend, however, that a City of East Cobb not start with a police department—every city must provide at least three services—until it would work out a revenue-shifting agreement with Cobb County.

Instead, the financial review group suggested the city provide waste disposal services, a low-cost, revenue-neutral option. The other services proposed by the cityhood group are fire and community development, which includes planning and zoning.

Ultimately, the services a City of East Cobb would provide would be determined by an elected mayor and city council.

Legislation filed by State Rep. Matt Dollar of East Cobb that calls for a referendum and includes a proposed city charter (read it here) must pass next year, or it would go have to go through another two-year legislative period.

Cityhood leaders are eyeing a possible May 2020 referendum, and if that passes, elections in November of next year. A two-year transition period for a new city would also take place.

About not starting with police, Birdwell says while he doesn’t agree or disagree about the IFG’s conclusion, “I get that.” But “as I talk to a lot of people in East Cobb, public safety is very important.”

Birdwell said the IFG’s position is “an intriguing angle,” and appreciates the group’s highly detailed approach to its work.

“We’re inviting anyone in East Cobb to study [the finance review group’s report] and look at the facts,” Birdwell said. “There has been so much emotion over this.”

East Cobb News Cityhood page

Birdwell said the cityhood group is tentatively looking at an early October date for a town hall meeting, and another in mid-November.

A newly formed group opposing cityhood is the East Cobb Alliance. Bill Simon, one of the group’s organizers, told East Cobb News he’s just beginning to read through the IFG’s report, and has a few questions.

The report refers to the provision of solid waste services instead of police. “Do they mean for the Proposed City of East Cobb to contract with one provider of household garbage and waste services for all property owners? What if the citizens are happy with the competitive availability of multiple garbage companies now?”

As for a new fire department for a city, Simon asked what can the IFG “guarantee in terms of the ISO classification for a new PCEC Fire Department?”

The report refers new franchise-fee revenue of $6.1 million a year, but the GSU study’s figure is $7.3 million. “Please explain this discrepancy,” Simon said.

(Bill Green of the financial review group told East Cobb News previously that the $6.1 million figure represents new franchise fees only, and that the group does not recommend adding new franchise fees. Currently cable franchise fees totaling $1.2 million a year are collected in East Cobb.)

Simon said that “isn’t it true that nearly every other large city in Georgia is assessing and collecting franchise fees from their tax base? And, if cityhood is granted, then wouldn’t that mean East Cobb residents would be implicitly granting power to a city council and mayor that they become the sole deciders of whether to assess franchise fees any time they wanted in the future?”

 

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6 thoughts on “East Cobb cityhood leader: Finance review ‘confirms’ viability”

  1. Forget the idiotic conversations about garbage collection. How can anyone believe that a new layer of government with East Cobb cityhood will improve all government services? It is my opinion that the main desire for cityhood is more control over land use. Ask yourselves who will benefit the most from that. East Cobb does not have enough commercial properties that would normally provide more revenue than the county’s residential properties. Which means more economic support of the city will have to come from the residential property owners or more commercial development because the “city” needs the revenue. Or, they can just raise residential taxes. Think about it.

  2. With out strong law enforcement ,adequate ,compensation,
    and committed community support !East cobb will become
    another West Cobb ,south East Atlanta ,College park and Clayton ! Has anyone looked into what politicians in our community stand to make personal financial gains through
    their influence ! BEWARE OF the TROJEN HORSE. 40 years
    of observing negative Government both state,Federal ,and local , have taught me to be very cautious with all my Government representatives and their motives !

  3. As far as trash goes, it’s not the easiest solution, but if you want cheap, take it to the dump. Get a few neighbors together and take turns hauling it over there. As far as Cityhood, show us one example where more layers of government reduced costs for it’s citizens…I’ll wait…

  4. It’s possible to become a city without a police force and not raise taxes? Why not factor in a police force? O wait, it would show that your feasible study is not feasible. And a comment on another tax, the city will jack up utility cost in the form of an indirect tax. How will this be cheaper than now?

  5. For the record, at first glance, I’m not inclined to support this cityhood effort. But, after reading Mr. Birdwell’s remarks about residents being happy with the competitive rates and having choices in regards to waste disposal he is way off the mark. I recently discontinued my service with American Disposal due to poor service and having to contact them every single week to ask them to do their job. It was nearly impossible to find s replacement. Due to the nature of their contracts with the county there was only one company I found after searching for a week that would service our area. Waste management and American are essentially the only game in town. “Competitive availability of multiple garbage disposal companies” doesn’t exist.

  6. It would be more credible if they used an independent study rather than hand picked “financial experts”. And for the record, one of the members of the city committee has been posting on Facebook for the 4 story apartment complex on Sandy Plains road.

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