Two days after a proposed Cobb stormwater fee was introduced, several dozen citizens turned out Thursday at a town hall meeting in East Cobb for a more detailed presentation.
Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell—who has expressed opposition to the measure—and Cobb Water System director Judy Jones presided at the Tim D. Lee Center.
Some of the several dozen or so citizens who attended occasionally interrupted. A question-and-answer period was at times difficult to keep under control.
Amid cries of “rain tax” and concerns over a service fee being imposed when Cobb voters will be asked to approve a 30-year transit tax in November, the sense of anger was evident.
“You’re coming for our money!” shouted East Cobb resident Hill Wright, who’s been a vocal critic of the stormwater fee and is part of a group opposing it called CobbTaxRevolt.com.
He added that “they”—meaning county commissioners—”want us to pay, instead of them prioritizing their spending.”
A few others apologized to Jones, telling them she wasn’t the person they’re upset with.
Jones patiently explained that stormwater charges are included on water and sewer bills, and for the need to bill them separately so that the aging system can be upgraded and properly maintained.
The fee has been suggested since damaging floods in 2021 that affected many homeowners in East Cobb, some of whom were saddled paying for expensive repairs.
“The way we’re charging now, residential customers are paying more than commercial customers,” she said. “I’m trying to fix that. But I have to have more money to do that. The way we do it now is not equitable.”
Cobb commissioners will be asked next Tuesday to do that, and to approve a dedicated fee that Jones said could range from $2 to $12 a month for most residential customers. Roughly two-thirds of residential customers would pay $4 or less a month, according to her presentation.
The proposed code amendments include basing that charge on the amount of impervious surfaces, which she said would mean commercial customers typically would be charged more.
Stormwater services are handled by the water department to the tune of $8.4 million a year, a figure Jones said isn’t enough to do what’s needed.
“It takes money to do this work,” she noted, adding that her own department doesn’t have dedicated stormwater repair crews. They’re contracted out, but some private companies on occasion decline the work.
The Cobb Water System for years has transferred some of its revenues to the county general fund—currently 6 percent, around $15 million.
Birrell said she cannot support a fee as long as that continues, and East Cobb resident Larry Savage blamed her colleagues.
“The Board of Commissioners refused to fund this thing because they had other priorities, and that has to change,” he said.
He was followed by East Cobb civic activist Debbie Fisher, who said that “we’re being taxed enough already.”
She rattled off other factors, such as increased density, for growing stormwater problems, mentioning the new MarketPlace Terrell Mill multi-use development on Powers Ferry Road, as well as county spending on outside consultants, among other expenses.
“And yet, you want us to pay more,” she said, calling it “the big steal.”
Looking at Jones, Fisher—a Republican appointee to the Cobb Elections Board—mentioned the three Democratic commissioners by name, saying they’re “the people who should be up there taking the shots.”
Other town halls on the stormwater fee are being held this week in elsewhere in Cobb before the commissioners’ vote next Tuesday. That also includes a final public hearing on the issue.
Related:
- Cobb residents blast stormwater fee proposal as ‘rain tax’
- Public hearings, vote, scheduled for Cobb stormwater fee proposal
- Cobb seeks grants to preserve African-American cemeteries
- Cobb commissioners set 2024 referendum for transit sales tax
- East Cobb transit center, bus routes on Cobb Mobility SPLOST project list
- Cobb to distribute $4.5M in ARPA funds to child care centers
Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
A FEE is actually more problematic long term because a simple majority BOC vote can raise it at any time without public hearings or public discussion!
A fee is actually more problematic since they can then raise it at will without hearings, notifications or public discussion!
If you want the facts about this go to CobbTaxRevolt.com and look at the Storm Water page
You are not being honest. There were at least 100 people there because I handed out 100 fliers myself refuting their ‘facts’. It appears you may have deleted this when I posted it earlier. I have the photos to prove it if you want them! ALL in attendance were loudly opposed! Why does the BOC transfer $15 million out of the Water Dept. Revenues into the General Fund instead of reallocating it into Storm Water since the proposal says they are only seeking $9-11 million more annually? Why not charge developers IMPACT FEES since they are creating the extra demand? Oh, that’s right, the developers are big campaign contributors! Please be more honest in your reporting and correct this article.
This is not a tax increase it eliminates the water use tax and replaces it with an actual runoff tax.
There was no water use tax either. It was a Stormwater fee based on water usage. They are codifying this FEE so that in the future they can raise it at any time with a simple majority BOC vote. There is much more to this than the fee, which will be at least $4 per month and likely $8 for many. Apartments are classified as commercial property which escalate their fees in a major way. Churches, HOAs and all businesses are going to see much higher rates as well, and you know that trickles down to all of us paying more for everything. It’s a money grab no matter what it’s called!
I just looked up how our water bills compare to other counties in the metro area. Cobb’s average monthly water bill is only $18- per a UGA study: https://dashboards.efc.sog.unc.edu/ga.
All the other surrounding counties are over $30/mo except Dekalb which is $17.38.
We’ve had tremendous growth over the last decades but no one wants to pay for it. I’m thrilled the gov’t actually wants to fund and improve our infrastructure! $4 a month increase doesn’t worry me if it means we get improvements.
You could pass it on to developers, but that only increases our already high housing costs.
It will be more than that. Ask yourself why do they transfer $15 million out of Water Dept. Revenues and into the General Fund to use on anything they want, instead of leaving it in the Water Dept and reallocating it to Stormwater? No one doubts the storm system needs upgrades, the question is where does the funding come from?
Maybe if we could stop the rent-a-landscapers and homeowners – like my idiot “well-educated attorney” neighbor – from using the existing storm drains as convenient yard waste disposal for their tons of leaves and sticks throughout the year, we wouldn’t have such a need for upgrading.
Problem is, stupidity is rampant.
And ignorance is bliss. The reality is that aside from the increased cost, they are codifying with these code changes that the liability for repairs and maintenance of storm piping, creeks detention ponds, etc. are the responsibility of the private property owners if the easements and ownership of those utilities are not recorded on county plats. The county threw away many drawings in the 80’s when they rolled Storm into the Water Dept. that showed more details. HOAs will be impacted as well as homeowners. The devil is in the details! Buyer beware if you don’t know what runs underground on your private property!
Bigger government has to be competent government. This council has indicated a preference for spending at every turn. They seem to lack the capacity for making hard priority decisions that are required for good government. I just don’t find this council to be competent.
Pretending that a new tax is somehow just a fee is just offensive gaslighting.