Month: February 2022

Mike Boyce remembered as ‘good and faithful servant’ at Mt. Bethel

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Mike Boyce remembered, Judy Boyce
Judy Boyce speaking at her husband’s memorial service Friday at Mt. Bethel UMC.

Former Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce was remembered by family members, friends and his fellow church members in East Cobb on Friday.

At a memorial service at Mt. Bethel United Church, where he was a member, Boyce was remembered as a faithful member of the U.S. Marine Corps, actively involved in church and community activities, and someone who liked to inspire and motivate others.

Boyce was 72 when he died in January, after suffering two strokes while attending a leadership seminar at the University of Notre Dame, his alma mater.

He served as chairman from 2017-2020, after ousting incumbent chairman Tim Lee in the Republican primary. Boyce lost his re-election bid in 2020 to Democrat Lisa Cupid.

His four years at the head of county government turned out to be culmination of his many local activities in Cobb after he married Judy Boyce, a longtime Marietta resident, 22 years ago.

Other remembrances came from his son Kevin, retired Mt. Bethel senior pastor Rev. Randy Mickler and his successor, Dr. Rev. Jody Ray.

(You can watch a replay of the service by clicking here.)

Bob Babcock, a Mt. Bethel member and former U.S. Army officer, talked about Boyce’s efforts to help his fellow veterans to sign up for their benefits. One of them went to a VA doctor as a result and after getting an early diagnosis of cancer, has been a survivor for 10 years.

“Mike’s legacy will never die,” Babcock said. “If you want to look for a legacy, don’t look for a monument, look at the person to the left or the right or in front of you, and ask, ‘How did Mike help you?’

“Most of us,” Babcock said, his voice breaking with emotion. “Most of us. . . Thank God for Mike Boyce.”

Rob Lee, Boyce’s political adviser for both his 2016 and 2020 races for chairman, said one of Boyce’s greatest attributes was his ability to inspire confidence in those around him.

Lee said whenever he felt he wasn’t up to a task, Boyce would say, “I trust you. I’m here because I trust you to help me get to where I want to be. . . . He just makes you want to work harder, to relish the relationship I had with him.”

That relationship, Lee said, transcended politics.

Boyce served 30 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, stationed around the world in his many capacities (Mt. Bethel choir members sang the Marines’ Hymn at the end of the service).

Mickler, who was the senior pastor at Mt. Bethel for 29 years, said “the real Mike Boyce had a streak. I won’t say it was mean, but I wouldn’t want to cross him.”

He said while he was driving Boyce around the campaign trail, Mickler asked him if he was fearful of knocking on doors in a “rough neighborhood.”

“Randy,” Mickler recalls Boyce telling him, “I can kill anybody. . . . 22 times . . . with my hands,” prompting the Mt. Bethel audience to erupt in laughter.

“I said, ‘OK, I got it, I got it,’ ” Mickler said.

At the end of his remarks, and after quoting from 1st Corinthians, Mickler said summing up Boyce’s life, “well done, good and faithful servant. Well done.”

Judy Boyce, a retired flight attendant, has attended Mt. Bethel for more than 40 years. When her husband retired from the Marines, they moved to East Cobb and he plunged right into church and community activities.

In her remarks at the service, she fought back tears talking about his easy-going nature around the house and his simple tastes.

“Mike never had a home,” she said. “He traveled, and when he came to Marietta, he said this was home.”

He liked to entertain people at home for dinner more than meet them at a restaurant, but on Saturdays the Boyces liked to have breakfast at Waffle House.

Boyce’s favorite restaurant was Panda Express and he also liked McDonald’s Happy Meals, she said, “but only the toy.”

“They’re low standards, but they’re mine,” she recalled him telling her, prompting more chuckling from the audience.

“I’m very grateful to God for the 22 years he gave me with Mike,” Judy Boyce said. “Rest in peace my Marine.”

Mike Boyce remembered

 

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4 candidates qualify in East Cobb Ga. House special election

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Georgia House District 45 map
For a larger view of the current District 45 map, click here.

Three Republicans and one Democrat have qualified for a special election in April for a Georgia House seat in East Cobb.

According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, the candidates competing in a “jungle” election in District 45 are the following:

  • Mitchell Kaye, a Republican;
  • Pamela Alayon, a Republican;
  • Dustin McCormick, a Democrat;
  • Darryl Wilson, a Republican.

Qualifying ended Friday afternoon. The special election was called for April 5 by Gov. Brian Kemp after former State Rep. Matt Dollar resigned on Feb. 1.

His successor will serve through the end of the year, when Dollar’s term expires.

In the May 24 primary, candidates for the newly drawn District 45 will be running in a separate election. Qualifying for primaries in all races takes place from March 7-11.

McCormick, a project management official at McKesson, had previously announced plans to run in the May primary in the new District 45.

Kaye is a former state representative who served District 45 for a decade, from 1993-2003, before Dollar began his tenure in the legislature.

Alayon is a hospitality recruiting franchisee who ran for chair of the Cobb Republican Party in 2021.

Wilson is a commercial airline pilot who was the chairman of the 6th Congressional District Republican Party and also ran for Cobb GOP chair.

In the special election, the four candidates will be competing together. If the top vote-getter does not receive a majority, a runoff between the top two finishers would take place on May 3

Dollar, who took a job with the state’s technical college system, said last fall he was not running for re-election after 20 years in office.

He and State Rep. Sharon Cooper, an East Cobb Republican who represents District 43, were drawn together during reapportionment.

Dollar was the main sponsor of the East Cobb Cityhood bill that was passed into law this week.

Voters in the proposed City of East Cobb will decide on whether to create a new city on May 24.

McCormick has stated his opposition to the proposed city of East Cobb.

The Cobb Elections office said there are 12 precincts in the county with voters who are eligible to vote in the special election:

  • Chestnut Ridge; Dickerson; Dodgen; Hightower; Murdock; Mt. Bethel 1; Mt. Bethel 3; Pope; Roswell 1; Roswell 2; Sewell Mill 1; Timber Ridge

Voters can check their eligibility for the special election by visiting the Secretary of State’s office My Voter Page.

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Pedestrian killed on Lower Roswell Road after being struck by car

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Lower Roswell pedestrian fatality

A woman who was walking on Lower Roswell Road Thursday night died after being struck by a car.

Cobb Police said Elizabeth Hightower, 55, of Marietta, was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a release, Sgt. Wayne Delk said she was walking westbound on Lower Roswell at 6:52 p.m. when she was hit by a blue 2017 Nissan Altima, also heading westbound on Lower Roswell.

Police said the crash occurred near the intersection of Sunset Trail, east of Davidson Road.

Delk said Hightower was not walking within the crosswalk when she was struck. The 22-year-old driver of the Altima had minor injuries and refused medical treatment at the scene, Delk said.

Police said Hightower’s next of kin have been notified and that the crash is still being investigated. Anyone with information is asked to call 770-499-3987.

 

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East Cobb Cityhood bill signed into law; May 24 referendum set

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East Cobb Cityhood bill signed
Gov. Brian Kemp signs the East Cobb cityhood bill with sponsor former Rep. Matt Dollar to his left and Committee for East Cobb Cityhood members (L-R) Scott Sweeney, Cindy Cooperman, Sarah Haas and Craig Chapin.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has signed legislation calling for a May 24 referendum on East Cobb Cityhood.

Final passage of HB 841 took place on Tuesday in the Georgia House, and the bill was sent to the governor’s office to be signed into law.

Eligible voters inside the proposed East Cobb city limits will decide on incorporation on the same day as the Georgia general primary.

The ballot language included in the bill will ask voters the following question:

“Shall the Act incorporating the City of East Cobb in Cobb County according to the charter contained in the Act be approved?”

If the referendum is approved by a majority of the voters, elections for a mayor and six city council members will take place on the Nov. 8 general election, with the beginning of city operations and a two-year transition to start in January 2023.

The East Cobb legislation is the first of four cityhood bills in Cobb County to be considered in the current legislative session.

The proposed City of East Cobb would have roughly 60,000 people in a 25-square-mile area centered along Johnson Ferry Road, from Shallowford Road south to the Chattahoochee River and from the Fulton County line west to a line roughly along Murdock Road and Old Canton Road. Click here for a larger version of the map.

Revised East Cobb city map

On Thursday, the Georgia Senate passed similar legislation for Lost Mountain in west Cobb, and is set to vote on a bill for a referendum for Vinings.

A Mableton cityhood bill is still in the House.

All four Cobb cityhood bills call for May referendums, instead of November.

That sparked protests by Cobb government officials, who said they haven’t had time to assess the financial and service impacts.

On Tuesday, they addressed Cobb commissioners as part of a county “cityhood awareness campaign.” The major claim is that more than $45 million would be lost in county revenues if all four cities are created.

More than 200,000 people—nearly a quarter of Cobb’s population—live inside the proposed new cities.

Cobb has had its current existing cities—Marietta, Smyrna, Acworth, Kennesaw, Austell and Powder Springs—for more than a century, after Mableton briefly became a city and then went unincorporated.

Lost Mountain, Mableton and Vinings are proposing “city light” services that are focused on planning and zoning.

East Cobb is proposing planning and zoning, code enforcement and public safety services, and possibly parks and recreation.

At Tuesday’s commission work session, the heads of Cobb’s public safety agencies questioned the East Cobb financial feasibility study conclusions and expressed concerns about staffing, equipment, response time and training for the proposed East Cobb police, fire and 911 services.

The Committee for East Cobb Cityhood said it is planning an in-person town hall meeting for the general public soon, but has not set a date.

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Cobb officials question East Cobb police and fire proposals

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East Cobb fire map
Cobb Fire officials said areas in red would be in the new City of East Cobb (otherwise in blue) but are serviced by county stations. The area in yellow would remain in Cobb but is serviced by what would be a city station.

The leaders of Cobb County government’s public safety agencies said Tuesday that police and fire services for the proposed City of East Cobb are lacking many financial and service details.

During a special called work session of the Cobb Board of Commissioners, the heads of the county’s police, fire and 911 services showed slides highlighting what they’re providing, but said a financial feasibility study for East Cobb raises more questions than answers about what a new city may be able to deliver.

“We’re not here to advocate, but to educate,” Cobb public safety director Randy Crider said during the virtual work session, which included no discussion among commissioners. “But I’ve been asked a lot of questions I don’t have answers for.”

Legislation calling for a May 24 referendum to determine East Cobb Cityhood is awaiting Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature into law. Three other cityhood bills—for Lost Mountain, Mableton and Vinings—also are expected to receive passage, with referendums also in May.

Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid told legislators in January that cityhood votes in all four proposed areas were being rushed, and that the county hadn’t had time to examine the financial and service impacts.

Those presentations were made Tuesday at the work session by Cobb public safety, parks and community development officials.

(You can watch a replay of the video by clicking here; and view the presentation slides by clicking here.)

The county has created a cityhood page that claims an estimated $45 million will be lost annually of all four new Cobb cities are created.

Nearly half of that—around $23 million—would come out of East Cobb, and most of the work session was devoted to East Cobb services, specifically police and fire. The other three cities are proposing “city light” services centered on controlling growth and development.

That was also the centerpiece of the original East Cobb legislation filed in March 2021 by former State Rep. Matt Dollar. Public safety was added last fall, as researchers from Georgia State University were conducting a financial feasibility study.

That study, released in November, concluded a City of East Cobb of around 60,000 people was financially feasible, even with public safety services estimated at costing $14 million a year.

The East Cobb bill also calls for planning and zoning, code enforcement and parks and recreation services.

More than half of the proposed city’s estimated $27 million in annual revenues would come from the 2.86 mills transferred from the Cobb Fire Fund.

At Tuesday’s work session, Crider repeated concerns he expressed to legislators that the East Cobb study is “just general” about public safety issues, including staffing, equipment, response time and training.

“We need to know what’s expected of us,” he said, referring to what may be included in intergovernmental and mutual aid agreements, similar to what the county provides in backup roles with Cobb’s six existing cities.

Crider said there aren’t enough details in the East Cobb study about exactly what specialty units a new city’s police department may have, such as SWAT units.

The East Cobb study also calls for a city fire department to consist of two stations—21 on Lower Roswell Road, at the East Cobb Government Service Center, and 15 on Oak Lane.

In showing commissioners a map of the proposed city, Cobb Fire Chief Bill Johnson said he has concerns about response time.

That’s because some parts of the proposed city (in red on the map) are served by stations that would remain in unincorporated Cobb. An area that would be located just outside of the city (in yellow) is now serviced by Station 15, which would be in the new city.

He also said he didn’t know how the East Cobb fire department would be staffed. The City of Roswell, for example, has many firefighters who work part-time shifts when off-duty from full-time jobs in other fire departments.

Stuart VanHoozer, the interim Cobb Fire Chief, and Cobb 911 Director Melissa Altiero also said they were unclear how their departments may be asked to provide support to a proposed City of East Cobb.

But Cindy Cooperman, a spokeswoman for the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood, called the county’s response “disappointing,” saying the county “has not properly briefed their staff on the well-established process in Georgia to form a city.”

Should a City of East Cobb referendum be approved, elections for a mayor and six city council members would take place in November, with a two-year transition period starting in January 2023.

She said the newly elected officials would work with a transition committee appointed by the governor to formalize processes and details for transferring services to be provided by the new city.

“This is not something new,” she said, referring to similar processes that have taken place in recent years in Milton, Johns Creek and Peachtree Corners. “These cities are thriving and have happy residents as a result.”

Cooperman also said that the “internal analysis of county staff is not credible when it suggests that the cost offset to $45M in revenue will only be approximately $450K.

“The county’s rushed attempt at an analysis was not thorough enough because many vital details on actual costs still need to be disclosed by the county.

“They had a year to analyze this properly and failed to do so,” Cooperman said.

The only direct meeting between East Cobb Cityhood forces and the county was in April of 2021 between Dollar and Cupid.

Cooperman said the cityhood group reached out to Cupid for a meeting in November with the addition of police and fire services, but has not yet heard back.

Cobb government spokesman Ross Cavitt referred East Cobb News to a statement Cupid made in a video early this week “that she is open to meet with anyone.” 

He provided a statement from Cupid referencing the Dollar meeting and saying that “I met other proponents about the effort approximately 2-3 weeks ago during a legislative meeting. They said they wanted to meet again and we will work on making that happen.”

Cooperman said the cityhood group is planning an in-person town hall after the Cobb County School District winter break next week, but a specific date has not been set.

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Former East Cobb GOP legislator running in special election

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Mitchell Kaye, who held a Georgia House seat in East Cobb for a decade, announced Wednesday he is running in the special election for District 45.Mitchell Kaye, Georgia House special election

Kaye served from 1993-2003, and was the first Jewish Republican elected to the Georgia legislature.

In a press release announcing his campaign, Kaye said he’s running because “it is important that this seat remain Republican.”

The special election was called for April 5 after longtime GOP Rep. Matt Dollar resigned to take a job with the state technical college system.

His successor will serve the rest of Dollar’s term, through the end of the year.

A primary for the new District 45 will be held in May. State Rep. Sharon Cooper, an East Cobb Republican who has held the nearby District 43 since 1997, has been drawn into the new 45.

Qualifying began Wednesday and continues until 1 p.m. Friday for the special election, which will be held in a “jungle” format, meaning candidates of all parties will be running together.

If the leading candidate does not get a majority of the vote, a runoff will take place on May 3.

The only other special election candidate who has announced is Democrat Dustin McCormick.

Kaye has lived in East Cobb for more than 30 years and is a financial and valuation analyst. He and his wife Amy have three children and two grandchildren and are members of the Chabad at Cobb synagogue.

He also has written a column for the Atlanta Jewish Times publication.

During his time in the legislature, Kaye was a deputy minority whip when Republicans were in the minority.

He received a legislator of the year award from the Eagle Forum for supporting parental rights in education. Kaye also worked to repeal a state tax on used cars.

The Republican-dominated Georgia General Assembly reapportioned Congressional and legislative seats in November in an attempt to solidify their majorities.

Democrats have filed lawsuits claiming the redrawn lines are diminishing black voting power, especially in former conservative areas like Cobb that are electing more Democrats.

In his campaign release, Kaye said that “unless a judge throws out the reapportionment maps, the winner of this election will not serve a single day when the legislature is in session, and it is critically important that constituent services go uninterrupted.”

If the lines must be redrawn in a special session, Kaye said, “I have been through these reapportionment battles before. Now is not the time for on the job training as experience is more important than ever.”

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Cobb school students compete in Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl

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Cobb Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl
Rainey Sharrow, a Walton student, and her mother, Susan Sharrow, a Pope media specialist, volunteering at the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl at Mt. Bethel Elementary School. Photo: Cobb County School District

After being cancelled in 2021 due to COVID-19, students from the Cobb County School District gathered in hybrid fashion in January to compete in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl.

It’s a multi-stage, quiz-style competition started in 1986 by a former DeKalb County educator to encourage students to master reading skills.

After an initial competition that drew 37 teams in virtual format, Cobb students came to Mt. Bethel Elementary School in East Cobb in January in a face-to-face stage.

Among the volunteers was Pope High School media specialist Susan Sharrow, and her daughter Rainey, a senior at Walton High School.

“The talent our students have is remarkable, and I love witnessing their nerves turn to calm as they confidently buzz in and answer questions about the books,” Susan Sherrow said in a release issued by the Cobb County School District.

Six Cobb teams advanced to the West Regional competition, and Cobb teams swept first place titles in all grade levels.

Representing the Cobb school district at the virtual state competition in March are students from Kemp Elementary School, Campbell Middle School and South Cobb High School.

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Former East Cobb attorney sentenced in litigation fraud scheme

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A disbarred attorney from East Cobb has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison after being convicted by a federal jury of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft involving some of his clients.East Cobb man convicted

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta, Chalmer “Chuck” Detling II, who was disbarred in 2016, was given a sentence of five years and 10 months, plus three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $254,837 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May.

Detling, 45, who was the owner of the Detling Law Group on Roswell Road, was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2018, after prosecutors alleged he used the identities of his clients without their knowledge to obtain litigation advances totaling nearly $400,000.

During his trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said evidence was presented showing Detling received the high-interest loans between October 2014 and April 2016.

The office said that Detling “knew when he submitted the agreement paperwork that the clients had not actually executed the agreements. He did so even after several clients expressly told him they did not need or want such financing.”

A release by the office said that “Detling was able to secure these fraudulent litigation advances without his clients’ knowledge in part because the financing companies did not require the clients to be present when applying for the litigation advances or receiving the disbursements.”

In 2012, Detling was fined by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission after admitting that he helped conceal a federal fraud indictment against a former client who was pursuing a municipal bond issue to purchase a casket company.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said it was told the litigation fraud scheme after an anonymous tip was given to the Georgia Bar Association.

“This tough but fair sentence should remind those considering similar behavior about the consequences of those decisions, especially licensed professionals who are considering exploiting their clients in a time of need,” said U.S. Attorney Karl Erskine in a statement.

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Qualifying starts Wednesday for Ga. House special election

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Georgia House District 45 map
For a larger view of the current District 45, click here.

Qualifying for an April 5 special election to fill the Georgia House seat 45 in East Cobb will take place Wednesday through Friday of this week.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a release that qualifying will take place at the Georgia State Capitol (2 MLK Jr. Drive, Suite 802, Floyd West Tower, Atlanta) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday.

The qualifying fee is $400.

The special election was called last week by Gov. Brian Kemp after the resignation of longtime Republican State Rep. Matt Dollar, who has taken a job with the state’s technical college system.

The successor will fill out the remainder of Dollar’s term, which expires Dec. 31. Candidates and voters must live within the current boundaries of District 45 (map here), which also includes some of North Fulton.

That seat will be redrawn for the May primary and November general election. Dollar said last fall he was not seeking re-election after he and GOP State Rep. Sharon Cooper of the nearby 43rd district were drawn together.

The last day to vote in the special election is March 7, and advance voting will begin on March 14. A runoff, if needed, would take place May 3.

Thus far Democrat Dustin McCormick is the only candidate who has announced his candidacy for the special election. He also said he will be running in the new District 45.

The Cobb Elections office said there are 12 precincts in the county with voters who are eligible to vote in the special election:

  • Chestnut Ridge
  • Dickerson
  • Dodgen
  • Hightower
  • Murdock
  • Mt. Bethel 1
  • Mt. Bethel 3
  • Pope
  • Roswell 1
  • Roswell 2
  • Sewell Mill 1
  • Timber Ridge

Voters can check their eligibility for the special election by visiting the Secretary of State’s office My Voter Page.

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KSU to hold 19th Civil War history symposium in March

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Submitted information:KSU logo

The Kennesaw State University Center for the Study of the Civil War Era will host its 19th Annual Symposium History & Memory: A Tribute to James I. “Bud” Robertson & Wiley Sword on Saturday, March 19th at the KSU Center at 3333 George Busbee Parkway, Suite 400 from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm.

Dr. Robertson taught thousands of college students about the Civil War and Reconstruction during his tenure at Virginia Tech, served as President Kennedy’s Executive Director of the U.S. Civil War Centennial Commission during the Civil Rights movement and served as a consultant on documentaries and films related to the Civil War.

Mr. Sword amassed one of the nation’s most extensive private collections of Civil War memorabilia. He was nominated for the Pulitzer, Parkman, Bancroft, and Western Heritage Prizes. His collection of over one thousand soldiers’ letters & other artifacts was acquired by the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier in Petersburg, VA.

The Symposium will feature:

  • Mr. William C. “Jack” Davis who has authored over 40 books on the American Civil War and southern U.S. history. He is a retired Virginia Tech professor & Programs Director for the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies.
  • Dr. Brian Wills who is an author of numerous works relating to the American Civil War, the Director of the Center for the study of the Civil War Era and a professor of history at Kennesaw State University.
  • Bobby Horton who has combined his passion for music and Civil War history to record 14 volumes of authentic Civil War tunes. He is a seasoned performer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and music historian. He has toured throughout the US and Canada for over 40 years and produced and performed music scores for 16 PBS films, two A&E network films, and 21 films for the National Park Service.

There is no charge to attend the event. Donations are appreciated.

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East Cobb Cityhood bill gets final passage in Ga. legislature

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East Cobb City Council district map
For a larger view of the proposed East Cobb city council districts, click here.

The Georgia House on Monday adopted Senate substitute legislation to call for a referendum for a proposed City of East Cobb.

HB 841 (you can read it here) was approved by a 96-62 vote in the lower chamber without debate, and will be sent to Gov. Brian Kemp to be signed into law.

It would establish a May 24 referendum for voters in the proposed city to decide whether or not to incorporate.

A second vote in the full House was needed after the Senate passed a substitute bill on Thursday that included clarifying language about proposed city council districts.

The six city council members will be chosen citywide, but they will have to live in the district they seek to represent (see map).

The House version of that bill did not indicate that.

The bill is the first of four Cityhood bills in Cobb County that has passed the legislature.

Last week, Cobb County government published a Cityhood Resource Page that angered members of the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood.

The county is spending more than $40,000 for lobbyists to oppose the cityhood bills.

Cobb officials estimate the impact to the county budget would be more than $45 million a year if all four proposed cities—East Cobb, Vinings, Lost Mountain and Mableton—would come into being.

The financial estimates contend that nearly half of those revenues would come from a City of East Cobb of around 60,000 residents along the Johnson Ferry Road corridor.

The county also has protested moving up the referendums in each of the four Cobb cities from November to May, saying it would put an additional burden on Cobb Elections for the general primary.

But the East Cobb Cityhood group questions the county’s financials and objected to taxpayer money being spent to fight the bills.

The Vinings and Lost Mountain bills have passed the House and are headed for the Senate; the Mableton bill is being heard by a House committee.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners is holding a special work session Tuesday at 6 p.m. to cover cityhood issues, including potential impact on county finances and services.

It’s a virtual-only event and can be viewed on the county’s YouTube channel.

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Ga. House passes GOP Cobb school board, commission maps

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Cobb school board redistricting town hall
The proposed Cobb Board of Education map passed by the House would remove Post 6 from East Cobb. For a larger version click here.

Mostly along party lines, the Georgia House on Monday approved Republican-sponsored bills redistricting seats on the Cobb Board of Education and the Cobb Board of Commissioners.

They now will be considered by the Senate.

The bills drew opposition from members of the Democratic majority in the Cobb legislative delegation, who accused their GOP colleagues of skirting local courtesies during reapportionment.

But Republicans dominate in the Georgia legislature, and the House voted 94-59 to approve the school board map approved in December by the GOP-led Cobb school board.

The House also voted 95-64 to approve a commission map drawn by GOP State Rep. John Carson of Northeast Cobb that he said would likely still maintain the current 3-2 Democratic majority.

But Democratic lawmakers objected to redrawing current Democratic District 2 Commissioner Jerica Richardson and District 3 Republican Commissioner JoAnn Birrell into the same East Cobb-based district.

Birrell and Keli Gambrill, the other GOP commissioner from District 1 in North Cobb, are both up for re-election this year.

If the commission map is approved, Richardson would have to move inside the boundaries of the new District 2 if she runs for a second term in 2024.

Although redistricting bills must be passed by the entire legislature, local delegations typically move maps forward for full House and Senate votes.

Cobb GOP BOC redistricting map
Most of East Cobb would be drawn into District 3 on the Cobb Board of Commissioners in a map approved by the Georgia House.

But in the last election cycle, Democrats became the majority on the Cobb commission, which previously had a 4-1 Republican majority.

Republicans hold a 4-3 edge on an increasingly fractious Cobb school board, with a mostly partisan split on a number of issues.

The GOP map would move Post 6—the Walton and Wheeler clusters currently represented by Democrat Charisse Davis—into the Smyrna-Vinings area.

The Walton, Wheeler and Pope clusters would be included in a new Post 5, where four-term Republican David Banks is the incumbent.

The Sprayberry, Lassiter and Kell clusters would be reformed into Post 4, whose current member is Republican David Chastain.

Chastain has indicated he will be seeking a fourth term this year. Davis, in her first term, has not said whether she’s running again in 2022.

(PLEASE NOTE: The process of redistricting elected school board posts has nothing to do with the boundaries of school attendance zones, which are drawn by school district administrative staff.)

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Atlanta Braves World Champions Trophy Tour comes to KSU

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The Atlanta Braves will be taking the team’s 2021 World Series championship trophy around the South starting next week and continuing through the end of May.Braves World Champions Trophy Tour

Among the first stops is the Kennesaw State University baseball field, starting at 3 p.m. next Friday, Feb. 18.

Not only can fans have their photos taken with the trophy, but there will be entertainment-related programming put on by Braves’ staffers.

The KSU event is before a KSU baseball game, and a game ticket for that game is required for entry to the champions trophy. The Owls will be playing Morehead State at 4 p.m.

KSU’s Fred Stillwell Baseball Stadium is located at 220 Kennesaw State University Road, Kennesaw.

More than 150 stops have been scheduled for the Braves trophy tour (more details here), including Colony Square on Feb. 15, Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion on Feb. 17 and the Georgia Aquarium on Feb. 19.

 

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Cobb Library Foundation gala slated for Atlanta Country Club

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Submitted by the Cobb County Public Library System:Cobb Library Foundation gala

Cobb Library Foundation presents its 11th Annual Booked for the Evening Gala featuring acclaimed children’s book author/illustrator Brian Lies and honorary chair Cynthia Rozzo, founder/publisher of East Cobber, on Thursday, March 17, 6:30 pm to 9:30 p.m., at Atlanta Country Club, Marietta.

Brian Lies has illustrated several bestselling children’s books. His books include Caldecott Honor-winning The Rough Patch, Got to Get to Bear’s! and his New York Times bestselling bat series (Bats at the Beach, Bats at the Library, Bats at the Ballgame and Bats in the Band). Lies was born in Princeton, NJ, and graduated from Brown University with a degree in British and American Literature. He attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Lies is an advocate for early literacy, and lifelong reading and learning. The Massachusetts resident has traveled across the United States to work with students and encourage them in their goals as he talks about writing and illustration – including his engaging presentations at schools and libraries in Cobb County.

For information on Booked for the Evening Gala tickets and sponsorship opportunities, contact Sandra Morris at 770-528-2196 or cobblibraryfoundation@cobbcat.org, and visit cobblibraryfoundation.org.

 

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Cobb Magistrate Court booking Valentine’s weddings in February

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Cobb Magistrate Court Valentine's weddings

The “Month of Love” is what the Cobb Magistrate Court is calling February, and is offering special wedding appointments on selected dates.

Some of them will be taking place on Valentine’s Day on Monday, but there are other appointments on Feb. 22 as well.

Judges will be conducting group ceremonies throughout the day, and the court will be holding weddings at noon and 6 p.m. daily through February.

Newlyweds also can enjoy a photo area to capture the initial memories of their marriages.

A fun photo area for Cobb’s newlyweds to capture memories of their big day will also be available during the entire month of February.

Chief Magistrate Court Judge Brendan Murphy said in a county release that “we’re glad to welcome those wanting to tie the knot during this Month of Love while keeping the newlyweds and their guests safe and healthy!”

But because of social-distancing protocols, all ceremonies are by appointment only.

Using the Court’s new online reservation system, couples can make an appointment online at www.cobbcounty.org/magistrate or by calling the Warrant Division at 770-528-8900.

Couples must show a valid license issued by a Probate Court in Georgia, and they may invite up to four guests.

Masks are required inside the courthouse, but couples may temporarily remove them during their wedding ceremonies.

 

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Cobb government, cityhood advocates ramp up talking points

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East Cobb City Council district map
The East Cobb cityhood group has released a map of proposed city council districts. To see a larger view, click here.

With one cityhood bill—in East Cobb—nearing passage in the Georgia legislature and three others likely to follow, Cobb County government has accelerated efforts to counter what’s been a rapid effort to put referendums before voters in those four localities in May.

The county government has published a special page it calls its Cityhood Resource Center to provide information to citizens about the potential impacts of cityhood.

Like the East Cobb legislation, bills are being considered to allow voters in proposed cities of Lost Mountain (West Cobb), Vinings and Mableton to vote in referendums on May 24, the date of the 2022 primary election.

The East Cobb bill passed the Senate Thursday but must go back to the House since a slightly different version was adopted.

But that bill could be finalized and signed by Gov. Brian Kemp into law by early next week.

County officials have protested that moving up the referendums from November to May won’t give them enough time to assess the financial and service impact, should any or all those proposed cities be formed. 

A “summary impact” page prepared by the county claims an annual figure of $45.4 million would be lost in revenues if all four cities are created, with the lion’s share of that sum—$23.5 million—coming out of the area of the proposed city of East Cobb.

That’s nearly 25 square miles centered along the Johnson Ferry Road corridor, with nearly 60,000 people.

The populations of the proposed cities of Lost Mountain and Mableton would be larger than East Cobb.

But East Cobb is the only one of the four cityhood bills that would include police and fire services.

Of revenue loss to the county, $14 million would come from the Cobb Fire Fund and another $8 million would come from the county’s general fund.

The East Cobb legislation calls for transferring the 2.86 mills in the current fire fund as the main source of city revenues.

On its cityhood page, the county said that while there will be some reduction in expenses if new cities are created, “any savings are not expected to be more than the loss of revenue to the county. This will in all likelihood not reduce the county’s general fund millage.”

In a message sent out Thursday in her official e-mail newsletter, Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said that “I am not here to thwart efforts towards determining the future of one’s community. As chairwoman of the county, I am here to ensure some sense of transparency and to better educate Cobb Citizens, more broadly, about how cityhood can impact all here.”

The county also is spending money for lobbyists, including former Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens. He’s a partner with Dentons, a large law firm, and he and another lawyer there, Daniel Baskerville, are being paid in excess of $10,000 each, according to the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission.

Other Cobb lobbyists are deputy county manager Jimmy Gisi and former State Rep. Ed Lindsey, who also is being paid more than $10,000 to oppose the cityhood bills.

But those efforts may be too late.

The Lost Mountain and Vinings bills passed the House and are being considered in the Senate. The Mableton bill is being heard by a House committee.

On Wednesday, the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood blasted the county’s lobbying efforts, saying that “we condemn the use of county taxpayer funds to mobilize paid lobbyists at the Georgia Capitol to work against passage of the cityhood bills.” 

The group claimed that the lobbying decisions were made “without the consent of the Commission as a whole, and can only be interpreted as an attempt to deny citizens the right to vote for or against cityhood through a referendum.”

During a virtual information session Thursday night (you can watch a replay here), the East Cobb cityhood group reiterated its main thrust during the last year, that the citizens of the proposed city should have the right to self-determination.

They also issued a new informational handout and revealed the first maps of the three proposed city council districts (map above; link here).

During the call, cityhood leaders took issue with the county’s financial conclusions, and pointed out that the wrong map of the proposed East Cobb city was being used.

They emphasized the main reason for a revival of East Cobb cityhood—first introduced in 2019—was to preserve its suburban nature and stave off high-density development.

In addition to public safety, the other proposed services in the bill are planning and zoning, code enforcement and parks and recreation.

“Redevelopment is coming to East Cobb, one way or another,” committee member Sarah Haas said, adding that “we believe that local government is the best course to chart the future of the community.”

While Cupid said that “there is marginal voter turnout in May primaries,” Craig Chapin, the East Cobb group chairman, said this year’s primaries should be high given interest in the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races, among others.

The county also included a memo from Cobb Elections director Janine Eveler to Gisi saying that including as many as four cityhood referendums on an already-crowded primary ballot reflecting newly reapportioned seats would create “additional complications to our workload” and increases “the risk level for error and failure to meet deadlines. If you have any influence with legislators, I would respectfully ask that the cityhood referendums be held until the November election, rather than conducting them in May.”

The East Cobb bill has been sponsored by Matt Dollar, who resigned his seat in the legislature on Feb. 1. On Thursday’s virtual meeting, he said that he was told by the Cobb Elections office that Feb. 15—this coming Tuesday—would be the deadline that would be needed to run a required local notice in order for the referendum to be on the May ballot.

He didn’t address Eveler’s concerns about staffing and time compression. Her office also has to oversee a special election to fill Dollar’s term for the rest of the year and that has been called for April 5.

The desire to have a referendum in May, Dollar said, would be that if it passes, mayoral and city council elections could be held in November, and a city could be better prepared to be operational at the start of 2023.

“We get to have the city leadership onboarded when the city takes effect,” he said, adding that the transition to full cityhood is expected to take two years.

The East Cobb Cityhood group said it would be holding another virtual session and an in-person town hall, but didn’t give any dates.

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Mt. Bethel Christian asks for continuance in site plan revisions

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Mt. Bethel Christian Academy athletic plans

In December the Cobb Board of Commissioners voted to hold a request by Mt. Bethel Christian Academy to change the site plan for its high school campus on Post Oak Tritt Road.

The private school, associated with Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church, was to have come back in February with revisions for its plans to upgrade athletic facilities.

But Kevin Moore, Mt. Bethel’s attorney, has requested a continuance to March. In a letter sent Tuesday to the Cobb Zoning Office, Moore said his clients need an additional month to continue working on site plan changes “in response to comments from the community.”

Nearby residents and the East Cobb Civic Association have expressed opposition to the proposed changes that would relocate a field house and add add 39 parking spaces for a total of 121.

They complained that the process is rushed, and that the athletic facilities would be placed too close to their property.

Mt. Bethel’s high school campus is located on 33.4 acres on Post Oak Tritt, near the intersection of Holly Springs Road, while the K-8 students attend classes on the main Mt. Bethel campus on Lower Roswell Road.

The full agenda for Tuesday’s hearing can be found here; it will take place at 9 a.m. in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta).

A link to the summary agenda can be found here.

The meeting is taking place in-person but there is an option to participate virtually. More details can be found here; and you can sign up to speak by clicking here.

The hearing also will be live-streamed on the county’s website, cable TV channel (Channel 24 on Comcast) and Youtube page. Visit cobbcounty.org/CobbTV for other streaming options.

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Special election for Ga. House seat in East Cobb is April 5

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Gov. Brian Kemp has set April 5 as the date for a special election to fill a Georgia House seat in East Cobb.Georgia runoff elections

That’s the day after the final day of the Georgia General Assembly’s 2022 session.

The vacancy in House District 45 was created when longtime State Rep. Matt Dollar, a Republican first elected in 2002, resigned his seat on Feb. 1.

He has been the chief sponsor of the East Cobb Cityhood legislation that is nearing passage in the legislature.

The special election will be held in jungle format—meaning candidates of all parties will be running together.

The successor will fill out the rest of Dollar’s term, which is through the end of the year.

During reapportionment in November, District 45 was redrawn to include both Dollar and Republican State Rep. Sharon Cooper, who has represented adjoining District 43 since 1997.

Last fall, Dollar announced he would not be seeking re-election. He stepped down shortly after the East Cobb Cityhood bill was transmitted to the Senate, saying he was taking an economic development job with the state technical college system.

The only candidate who has announced an interest in the special election thus far is Democrat Dustin McCormick.

He also said he will be running in the May 24 primary for the new District 45 seat.

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Cobb school board extends superintendent’s contract to 2025

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In a partisan vote, the Cobb Board of Education on Thursday approved an extension of Superintendent Chris Ragsdale’s contract another year to February 2025.Cobb school superintendent contract

Without any discussion, the board’s four Republicans voted in favor of the extension, while the three Democrats voted against.

Ragsdale, whose contract was amended by the GOP majority in November, is receiving a base salary of $350,000 in a current contract that was to run through Feb. 10, 2024.

Any changes in the financial terms or other portions of Ragsdale’s contract were not announced at the Thursday night board business meeting.

The meeting was not available on the district’s live-streaming link or on its Comcast cable channel due to what a district spokeswoman said were technical difficulties.

She said the meeting was being recorded and would be posted on the district’s website. Board member Jaha Howard, who was participating in the meeting remotely, recorded the meeting and streamed it on his Facebook page.

The extension vote took place as the board was acting on items discussed during an executive session on Thursday afternoon.

In making his monthly remarks after the vote, Ragsdale said that “I appreciate the vote of confidence” and “look forward to serving this board and district.”

In recent years the board has typically extended the superintendent’s contract during February, and for the most part it has been uneventful.

But in 2021 the Democratic minority voted against an extension for Ragsdale, who has been superintendent since 2015.

In November, the four Republicans voted for an amended contract that gave him increased flexibility in setting the terms for any eventual departure.

He could leave his position with full pay if a special panel determines he’s been “harassed” or “embarrassed” by school board members and he would receive 90 days advance notice from the board if he is to be terminated without cause.

The contract revisions were also made as the Cobb school district received the report of a special review by its accrediting agency that outlined a plan for improvement focusing largely on fractured board relations and governance issues.

That review was sparked in part by the three board Democrats and members of the public.

Under other financial terms of his existing contract, Ragsdale gets 25 days of paid vacation per year and an automobile allowance of $1,200 a month. The board makes contributions to his retirement, Social Security, Medicare and a tax-sheltered annuity plan, and provides health insurance for him and his family.

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East Cobb Cityhood bill passes Ga. Senate; returns to House

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State Sen. John Albers
State Sen. John Albers

The Georgia Senate on Thursday adopted a bill that would establish a cityhood referendum for East Cobb, but the legislation needs further action by the House.

By a 31-18 vote, the Senate approved HB 841, which would call for a May 24 referendum.

The bill that passed the Senate was a substitute from a Senate committee that included clarifying language on residency requirements for city council candidates.

That’s why the bill has to go back to the House, since a different version was passed there.

A motion by Sen. John Albers, the Senate sponsor of the East Cobb bill, to transfer the bill to the full House passed 30-16, but it didn’t get the required two-thirds of a majority vote.

Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan referred the bill back to the lower chamber in “normal order,” meaning it has to go through the committee process.

Albers, a Republican from North Fulton whose district will include the proposed East Cobb city boundaries next year, said that voters in East Cobb deserve the right to self-determination through a referendum.

He noted that in the last 17 years, 11 cityhood bills in Georgia have been voted in, and 10 of them have passed.

“We do not create cities,” he said from the Senate well. “We only create opportunities for citizens in those areas to create them.”

Two Democratic senators spoke against the bill, mainly for the timing of the referendum.

The original East Cobb bill was to have been in November, but was moved up to May in a change made during the House committee process by former State Rep. Matt Dollar.

He was the bill’s chief sponsor before resigning after it was sent to the Senate.

Sen. Michelle Au of Johns Creek, a member of the Senate State and Local Government Operations Committee, said that while “I don’t have an objection to cityhood movements,” the May referendum is an “arbitrary deadline.

“There’s no reason that I can see that we need to rush.”

Three other Cobb cityhood bills—Lost Mountain, Vinings and Mableton—also have May referendums.

Au said more time is needed for the financial impact of those new cities, if they come to pass, on Cobb County government.

State Sen. Michael “Doc” Rhett, a Democrat from South Cobb, made the same point, and also said the May referendums would be hard for Cobb Elections to include on an already full primary ballot.

“I understand the need for autonomy,” Rhett said. “Let’s slow down.”

Voting for the East Cobb bill was Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, a Republican from East Cobb. She did not speak from the Senate floor on behalf of the bill.

Her district currently includes the proposed East Cobb area but is not under new boundaries redrawn in reapportionment.

She was opposed to the East Cobb cityhood bill when it first came up in three years ago but said recently she was supportive of letting voters decide on whether to have a city.

The East Cobb Cityhood group is having a virtual information session Thursday at 6 p.m.; you can register by clicking here.

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