Cobb government this afternoon said water service is out temporarily in some neighborhoods in East Cobb along Johnson Ferry Road due to emergency repairs.
The neighborhoods include River Hill, below Lower Roswell and near Powers Road.
There was no estimate for when water service may be restored to the area, but the message from the county said “water crews are working to make repairs as fast as possible.”
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Cobb commissioners on Tuesday heard about proposed code changes regarding secondary housing units on residential properties.
At a work session, Cobb officials presented language that would create accessory dwelling units (or ADUs) that could be built in a residential backyard (you can read the proposal here).
The small units—of up to 850 square feet, with a limi of one unit per lot—are seen as a way to provide more affordable housing.
Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said that ADUs wouldn’t be a “panacea,” but what’s been proposed, she added, “are lower-bar considerations for addressing housing affordability in Cobb County.”
The proposed code changes also would alter the definition of a family, permitting up to three unrelated adults (the current limit is two) and up to six children.
The proposed Cobb ordinance would require an ADU to be permanently structured and hooked up to utilities serving the primary home. It could be detached, but it must be in a backyard area only.
The property owner also must live on the premises and the smaller unit could not be used as a short-term rental. An ADU must meet existing setback and impervious surface limits
In addition, a homeowner wishing to add an ADU would have to obtain a special-land use permit from the county, according to a revision that went out to commissioners on Monday.
Another measure would increase the maximum parking for five cars (currently limited to four) in a driveway or garage and another vehicle off-street.
But Republican commissioners JoAnn Birrell and Keli Gambrill questioned much of the language in the proposal as well as the the number of unrelated adults and vehicles on a single property.
They reflected concerns that the single-family nature of many areas of the county would be dramatically altered with ADUs.
The current code allows for such home renovations as in-law suites and converting basements into separate living units that must be permitted by the county.
The proposed code amendments are set for public hearings and possible approval in November, but Gambrill wants the county to hold off for “at least the next year” to allow homeowners associations the time to sort through how restrictive covenants may for such purposes be conflict with ADUs.
There also are issues over whether a property with an ADU would be able to claim a second homestead exemption from property taxes.
Birrell, whose District 3 in East Cobb is heavily single-family residential, called the proposal “a bad idea to do, period. We’ve been flooded with e-mails in opposition. I’m glad we’re having this discussion today but I think a lot of the perception may be wore than it is. I’m not supporting this. It doesn’t make sense.
“If somebody wants to add on to their home, they can do that now,” she said. “We get zonings all the time that are way too dense, have 10 variances, and they could still get approved.”
Gambrill, who represents District 1 in north and west Cobb, added that “a statistic was given to me that 85 percent of eligible properties for these ADUs” are in Districts 1 and 3.
Commissioner Jerica Richardson of East Cobb, who recently had a baby, was not present at the work session.
Commissioner Monique Sheffield of South Cobb said that “I appreciate that we’re having this conversation” and she also has heard from constituents concerned about the proposal.
“The belief is that we’re going to create rental units behind single-family residences,” she said. “This is not that. Hopefully the perception and the understanding will be different.”
Cupid said that “I understand the concerns but I don’t perceive the need to wait for a whole year to get some answers on some things.
“The way that people are living is changing, and housing affordability is changing,” she said. “This is one tool and I don’t know how robust of a tool this is compared to other tools.
“You keep several tools available because at some point in time one of them may be helpful for us wanting to fix something. The thing we’re trying to fix is providing places for people to reasonably live in our county.”
The hearings for the proposed code amendments are scheduled for 9 a.m. Nov. 12 and 6 p.m. on Nov. 21, with tentative approval scheduled for the 7 p.m. voting meeting on Nov. 21.
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Former Cobb Commissioner Bob Ott, who has rarely commented publicly on county government and politics since he left office in 2021, is speaking out against the proposed 30-year transit tax referendum.
Last week he said submitted a lengthy letter expressing his opposition to the tax to the Marietta Daily Journal, but released it elsewhere after he was told it wouldn’t be published until Saturday.
“That’s like 50,00 voters from now,” Ott told the East Cobb News on Monday, as the second week of early voting is underway in Cobb County for the 2024 general election.
East Cobb News separately obtained a copy of the letter (you can read it in full here), which closes with him saying that the tax is “a bad idea and needs to be defeated.”
A retired Delta Air Lines pilot, Ott said he’s contributed to a Vote No on M-SPLOST group started by former Cobb Chamber of Commerce leader John Loud.
Ott, a Republican from East Cobb who served District 2 from 2009-2020, said in the letter than in addition to the 30-year duration of what’s being called the Cobb Mobility SPLOST (“think about that for a moment; your middle schooler would be in their mid 40s at the end of the tax’), the tax isn’t a Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax, such as the county and Cobb County School District have for shorter periods for specific construction and maintenance purposes.
“Many will remember my numerous NO votes for previous SPLOST proposals because I felt that the project list was mostly wants and not needs,” Ott wrote. “In most cases there wasn’t anything special about the projects, they were just other ways to spend money. This proposal is a long way from the intent of a SPLOST.”
He said that one of the differences is that if the referendum is approved, a new regional transit authority, ATL, would have to approve transit projects in Cobb. “The majority of the ATL committee members are not from Cobb. So how are they going to know what is in the best interest for Cobb related to transit related projects?”
He said the biggest need in Cobb is transportation between the Cumberland area and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, but the transit tax “is silent on any links.”
Other needed transportation projects include widening Roswell Road east from Johnson Ferry Road to the Fulton County line, but it doesn’t “need a 30-year tax to be completed.
“A proper review of county needs vs wants is needed long before giving the county and the commissioners any more of our hard-earned money.”
Ott said it’s hard to look into a crystal ball and envision future needs for the current six-year Cobb SPLOST, which was approved two years in advance, much less three decades.
Like other transit tax opponents, Ott said the low ridership figures in general don’t warrant such a lengthy, broad-based solution to transportation issues.
“Here in East Cobb and many other suburban parts of the county, transit and transportation must compete with the car to be remotely successful,” he wrote. “This transit tax is just like many of the others; it can’t compete.”
The proposed transit tax would restore a little-used bus route in East Cobb that was axed by commissioners during the recession.
Ott told East Cobb News that he tried to get the bus stops along that route on Roswell Road removed, but they continue to generate local advertising revenue.
“I don’t think ridership will improve” if that route comes back, he said. “Transit in Cobb is all about will it compete with the car? It really doesn’t.”
Ott told East Cobb News that when he left office (see our Dec. 2020 interview), he was retiring from politics for good, and wanted to follow the example of former President George W. Bush by staying out of the public spotlight.
“I’ve been trying to do the same thing,” Ott said.
But in addition to his concerns about the tax, he said former constituents and others have been asking him about it.
“I’ve heard from a lot of people who say that they don’t know about it,” Ott said.
Ott, who lives in District 3, represented by Republican JoAnn Birrell, said he was approached about running for commission chair, but declined.
“I’m done with politics,” he said.
Since his departure, Cobb has gone from solidly Republican to having a 3-2 Democratic majority on the commission.
In addition, Cobb countywide office-holders are all Democrats, with one exception (State Court Clerk Robin Bishop).
When asked if a Republican can win countywide office anytime soon, Ott said “I’m not going to speculate.”
But he said that “our elections have turned away from the issues” and have become “character assassinations” that ignore what candidates stand for.
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The ADUs as proposed (draft amendment here) could house up to three unrelated adults and up to six children, as well as maximum parking for five cars in a driveway or garage and another vehicle off-street.
Unlike “tiny houses,” which are mobile, the ADUs under the proposed Cobb ordinance would be required to be permanently structured and hooked up to utilities serving the primary home.
The property owner also must live on the premises and the smaller unit could not be used as a short-term rental.
The ADU proposal is meant to address housing affordability issues, but few local jurisdictions allow them, and
The work session begins at 1:30 Tuesday in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta).
There is no public comment period; the full agenda can be found by clicking here.
Other code amendments to be presented include proposed changes regarding film permits (economic development), alcoholic beverage licenses, the county plumbing code, land disturbance activities, door-to-door sales permits, subdivision plats and sewer and wastewater approvals.
The hearings are scheduled for 9 a.m. Nov. 12 and 6 p.m. on Nov. 21, with tentative approval scheduled for the 7 p.m. voting meeting on Nov. 21.
Commissioners typically hear code amendments in January and September, but the county hasn’t said why they’re coming up now.
You also can watch the work session on the county’s website and YouTube channels and on Cobb TV 23 on Comcast Cable.
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Commissioner Richardson invites you to attend the 2024 Cobb Cybersecurity Day on October 25, 2024!
Cobb County Government is committed to serving the community, which is why we are hosting this event to empower individuals with the knowledge they need to protect themselves online. Ever heard of “social engineering”? It’s a tactic used by cybercriminals that exploits human psychology rather than technical hacking. Being aware of these tactics can help you recognize and avoid potential threats!
The 2024 Cobb Cybersecurity Day will be held on Friday, Oct. 25 from 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM at 1150 Powder Springs Street.
Cybersecurity awareness can save you money! A data breach can cost individuals thousands of dollars in recovery costs. Educating yourself about online safety can help you avoid these expenses.
This year’s event will feature industry-leading speakers, interactive presentations, and discussions on cyber safety for both organizations and individuals.
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A series of proposed code amendments to be heard by the Cobb Board of Commissioners in November includes a measure that would permit small homes to be built in residential backyards.
What are called “accessory dwelling units,” or ADUs, would be allowed in most residential zoning categories. They could be as large as 850 square feet and house up to three unrelated adults and up to six children, as well as maximum parking for five cars in a driveway or garage and another vehicle off-street.
Unlike “tiny houses,” which are mobile, the ADUs under the proposed Cobb ordinance would be required to be permanently structured and hooked up to utilities serving the primary home.
The property owner also must live on the premises and the smaller unit could not be used as a short-term rental.
Only a few counties in Georgia allow ADUs, which have been touted as a way to address housing affordability issues.
Cobb’s average home sales price surpassed $500,000 for the first time in 2024.
Developers also promote ADUs as a way for homeowners to earn rental income (example recently in the city of Atlanta) or to provide housing for a family member, such as a senior, and for college students.
The proposed ADU code amendment (you can read it here) will first be heard by the Cobb Planning Commission on Nov. 5, followed by public hearings to be held by Cobb commissioners on Nov. 12 and Nov. 21.
The county distributed the proposed code amendments (summarized here, with links) but hasn’t publicized the upcoming hearings nor has it explained explained why the ordinance is being subject to revisions now.
Typically Cobb updates its ordinance twice a year, in January and September, but that pattern hasn’t happened recently.
East Cobb News has left a message with the county seeking comment and further information, and has contacted District 3 commissioner JoAnn Birrell as well.
Richard Grome, president of the East Cobb Civic Association, said his group is analyzing all the proposed code amendments, but “we are not at a point in our analysis, at this time, to make a definitive announcement or take a position on any of” them.
Cobb’s current ordinance permits no more than two unrelated adults living together, and one vehicle for every 390 square feet of living space.
There aren’t provisions for allowing ADUs, but the proposed code amendment stipulates the following:
a. ADU shall not exceed 50% of the gross square footage of the primary single-family dwelling unit or 850 square feet.
b. ADU shall be no more than one-story in height, not to exceed the height of the primary single-family dwelling unit.
c. A minimum of one off-street parking spot shall be provided for the ADU.
d. ADU shall be connected to the utilities meters of the primary structure.
e. ADU shall be located only in the rear yard, and shall adhere to the side and rear yard setback of the primary structure.
f. Maximum impervious surface coverage for the lot shall not exceed the zoning district limitation.
g. ADU must adhere to all other standards for accessory structures in the zoning district.
h. There shall be no more than one ADU per single-family lot.
i. ADU shall not be utilized as a short-term rental property.
j. The owner(s) of the property shall reside in either the primary single family-dwelling unit or the ADU.
k. Property owner(s) shall sign an affidavit stating that the ADU is not in conflict with any applicable covenants, conditions, deed restrictions, or bylaws.
ADUs have been mentioned as part of a Cobb Unified Development Code that was first proposed in 2021 but has been put on hold.
There were public meetings last December, and tentative plans for more feedback and adoption in 2024, but nothing further has been issued since an outside consultant released this code assessment in November 2023.
It didn’t specifically mention adding ADUs to the code, but it does call for reviewing and updating accessory uses and structures.
“The list of accessory uses will include some of the current accessory uses, with definitions and standards as appropriate. It will also include additional accessory uses or structures that may be appropriate, such as automated teller machines,” wrote the consultant, Clarion Associates LLC, a nationwide land-use and planning firm.
County officials said the UDC was a long overdue measure to streamline development standards and zoning categories.
But some Cobb residents declared the UDC to be a “war on the suburbs” that would increase density in traditional single-family neighborhoods.
County officials have contended that in response that “what you see in your neighborhood is going to pretty much be the same.”
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Here’s what Cobb County Government and the Cobb Emergency Management Agency released late Wednesday afternoon, after saying on Monday the Rockdale chemical plant fire posed no local threat:
“The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS) has issued an advisory stating that a shift in weather patterns could push smoke from the BioLab facility in Rockdale County toward metro Atlanta. Winds from the southeast are expected late Wednesday. As the smoke settles near the ground after sunset, ‘there is a high likelihood that people across Metro Atlanta will wake up Thursday morning seeing haze and smelling chlorine.’
“While it is unlikely that any haze reaching Cobb County will contain chlorine at harmful levels, the GEMA advisory notes, ‘It is important to know that as the air settles each evening, smoke also settles toward the ground. As the air lifts back up in the afternoon and evening, the smell and haze should dissipate. Chlorine has a very low odor threshold, meaning you can smell it before it reaches a harmful level.
“ ‘We are working closely with GEMA and the EPA, and we are prepared to conduct air testing in Cobb County if necessary,’ said Cobb Emergency Management Agency Director Cassie Mazloom. ‘We requested testing earlier this week, and the EPA reported no traces of chlorine or hydrogen chloride were found.’
“Cobb County Fire Department’s HazMat team will also be on standby to conduct air quality testing should calls come in.
“No shelter-in-place advisories have been issued for Cobb County at this time.
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One of the most high-profile business leaders in Cobb County organizing a rally this week against the Cobb transit tax referendum that’s on the November ballot.
John Loud
The event on Thursday was led by John Loud and Cobb Republican state legislators John Carson and Ginny Ehrhart “and other Cobb County business leaders.”
Loud is the founder of Loud Security Systems and is a former president of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. He was a key figure in efforts to lure the Atlanta Braves to Cobb County in 2013.
He has become more active politically recently, recruiting Republican candidates John Cristadoro (Cobb Board of Education Post 4) and Kay Morgan (Cobb Commission Chair) to run for office in 2024.
What’s being called the Cobb Mobility SPLOST, if approved by voters in the referendum, raise the current sales tax totals in Cobb County from six to seven cents on the dollar.
The transit tax would collect a one-percent Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax for 30 years (more than $11 billion) to expand bus service in Cobb County, including 108 new miles of routes as well as construction of transfer stations and expansion of microtransit and other related services.
In a social media post Monday, Loud called the tax “such a waste of money” and said the county hasn’t been transparent on ridership figures and how the money would be spent.
The MDJ has reported that ridership across the overall Cobb bus system has plummeted from 3.7 million annual trips in 2014 to just under 1 million trips in 2022, and that the decline began well before COVID-19.
Cobb commissioners voted in a 3-2 partisan vote in June to put the tax out for a referendum. It’s the longest and most ambitious sales tax in Cobb County, and Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid has frequently defended both in public statements.
“What it comes down to is do we perceive the future is worth it?” she said before the vote in June. “We can do something that is transformational . . . it enhances our ability to serve our own citizens.”
Loud said in a social media post Monday that while he supports the current sales taxes to finance Cobb County government and Cobb County School District construction and maintenance projects, “this M-SPLOST, for public transportation is nothing like the others.”
The existing SPLOSTs have been approved since the late 1990s for shorter periods (typically four to six years), have committed project lists and citizen oversight committees.
If the Mobility SPLOST passes, he claimed on the Vote NO M-SPLOST Facebook page he created, that “future elected officials can make all sorts of changes and use these funds in all sorts of ways as there is no committed full list of how these [BILLION$ Lisa Cupid] will be spent.”
Among the proposed projects that would be funded with the transit tax is the construction of a bus transfer station in the Roswell-Johnson Ferry Road area and the restoration of two bus routes through East Cobb that were eliminated during recession budget cuts.
Loud claimed that nearly $300,000 of taxpayer money has been diverted for “an education campaign” to inform voters about the referendum, and that Cupid “pressured” Community Improvement Districts to spend around $260,000 on “education initiatives” for the tax.
The former figure is around $287,000 that’s being paid to Kimley-Horn, an Atlanta consulting firm, to build an informational web site for the tax and to hold open houses.
The latter reference includes around $100,000 in contributions by the Cumberland CID and around $110,000 by the Town Center CID, per the MDJ.
The county cannot officially make an endorsement on the tax, but a sentence on the SPLOST “overview” page states that “this initiative seeks to improve the county’s transit infrastructure with a focus on safety, flexibility, and reliability tailored to meet the specific needs of our growing community and local economy.”
More than 200 people have joined the Facebook page started by Loud and Carson, and some are fellow GOP elected officials and conservative activists.
Opposition also has come from the Cobb Taxpayer Association, which held a rally in East Cobb last month.
The Cobb Business Alliance, made up of companies in the construction industry, has also launched a website that it says is informational only.
However, the CBA sent out media and other invitations to its campaign kickoff in support of the tax, and that Cupid attended.
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Cobb government officials on Monday said that a chemical plant fire in Rockdale County that prompted a shelter-in-place advisory there poses no threat here.
A “public safety alert” was sent out by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency about a “LOCAL AREA EMERGENCY” following a major fire at the BioLab facility.
More than 17,000 people in the vicinity of the plant have been evacuated, and all Rockdale County residents were urged to shelter-in-place Monday afternoon.
The fire broke out on Sunday, and some parts of metro Atlanta were reporting a haze and chemical smells this morning.
But Cobb was not among them, according to the county’s message.
“The alert was sent to anyone within a 50-mile radius of the facility and noted that the chemical levels were unlikely to cause harm to most people.
“Although Cobb County was included in the alert area, the prevailing winds have shifted the fire’s effects away from our region. Out of an abundance of caution, our Emergency Management Agency has coordinated with state and federal officials to conduct air sampling in Cobb County. At this time, there is no indication that the impacts of the Rockdale incident have reached our area.”
The AJC reported that some schools and outdoor activities in Fulton County and DeKalb County were cancelled Monday afternoon and DeKalb officials are testing air quality. Some sampling in the city of Atlanta showed small amounts of chlorine in the air, the newspaper reported.
The fire at BioLab is the third there in the last seven years, according to published media reports.
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Bruce Thompson, branch manager of the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center
Submitted information and photo:
Fall Prevention Nature Walk, a set of informational panels designed to promote awareness and action for injury prevention, is on display outdoors at Sewell Mill Library & Cultural Center through Wednesday, Oct. 2.
The Fall Walk at Sewell Mill coincides with National Falls Prevention Awareness Week 2024, Sept. 23–27, which is organized “to raise awareness on preventing falls, reducing the risk of falls, and helping older adults live without fear of falling,” the National Council on Aging states at ncoa.org.
An initiative of Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) Injury Prevention Program, the Fall Walk was initially inspired by walk paths featuring stories, often with pages of picture books, in community parks and outside libraries organized by Cobb County library workers. It was developed with input on its design and evidence-based messages from leading injury prevention experts of DPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory (IPRCE), Emory University School of Medicine, and Mercer University Department of Physical Therapy, Shepherd Center and others.
“Cobb libraries serve as community focal points for bringing to the public’s attention critically important information for people to act on for a better quality of life,” said Sewell Mill Branch Manager Bruce Thompson. “The Fall Walk is designed to start meaningful conversations of families and individuals to consider proven ways to reduce fall risks in their lives and to share this with their neighbors and the people they are closest to.”
The public launch of the initiative was the Fall Prevention Nature Walk in place for several days in spring 2023 in the City of Kennesaw’s Swift-Cantrell Park in partnership with Cobb County Public Library. The Fall Walk has been shared by Cobb Senior Services, the Northeast Georgia Fall Prevention Coalition and others with temporary installations in parks, public libraries, churches and other locations. DPH developed an Implementation Guide for the Fall Walk and continues to seek input from organizers of its instillations as part of planning for more Fall Walks across Georgia.
The Fall Walk at Sewell Mill is next to the library’s outside patio in a relatively dense space in comparison to installations in parks and other paths with several feet between each panel offering a walk-and-talk opportunity. Its duration is more “pop-up” than longer lasting installations at other locations. Cobb library officials said they’re confident visitors of the Sewell Mill installation will find value in choosing to experience all 24 panels together or taking in one or a few of the panels at a time.
Among the Fall Walk panels, which provide information on accessing resources, are The Importance of Fall Prevention, Risk Factors, Home Safety, Outdoor Safety for Kids, Talking to a Primary Care Provider, Get a Screening and Staying Active.
Falls are costly for individuals and families as well as healthcare systems and public safety agencies. According to DPH’s OASIS data dashboard, in 2023 there were 9,100 Emergency Room visits due to falls by Cobb residents. By comparison, last year there were 5,459 ER visits by Cobb residents due to Motor Vehicle Accidents.
Fall injuries impact all ages. In 2023, children age 9 and younger account for 1,287 of the ER visits by Cobb residents.
For information on Cobb County Public Library programs and resources, visit cobbcat.org or call 770-528-2326.
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Richardson at a Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting in March 2024.
Cobb commissioner Jerica Richardson sent out a newsletter Friday afternoon with a message for her former constituents in District 2.
Her seat was declared vacant by her colleagues Tuesday (she recused herself), following the adoption of state legislative-approved electoral maps that drew her out of her East Cobb home.
That action—after a nearly tw0-year-long partisan dispute—triggered a 10-day notice that will allow her to appeal to Cobb Superior Court.
The ‘old District 2’ is indicated in pink.
Richardson will be able to serve while she pursues her last-ditch effort to stay in office through the end of her term on Dec. 31, or possibly to extend her tenure while a special election to determine her successor takes place in early 2025.
Her District 2 included a good portion of East Cobb, including her home off Post Oak Tritt Road, under maps Democratic commissioners approved under “home rule” claims that were later ruled to be a violation of the Georgia Constitution.
Now, most of East Cobb is in District 3, while the District 2 boundaries fall along I-75 and include most of the Smyrna/Cumberland area, pushing as east as the western side of Powers Ferry Road, close to where Richardson formerly resided.
Richardson is a first-term Democrat who was narrowly elected in 2020 to succeed retiring Republican Bob Ott. She decided not to seek re-election amid the map controversy and was defeated in May by U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath in the 6th Congressional District primary.
Richardson hasn’t stated her plans after she leaves office, but she is expecting her first child.
Most of East Cobb is in Commission District 3 under state-approved reapportionment maps.
Here’s Richardson’s note to District 2 citizens:
“As a district, we have been through so much in such a short amount of time. As one of the most diverse districts, we found unique ways to collaborate across party, position, location, background, and so much more. We cannot forget the model of collaboration we seek to achieve where so many communities today struggle to be civil.
“In the midst of all the pressure, we accomplished so much, and it was because our community chose to recognize there is real value in appreciating what makes us different, and building on what makes us similar. There was so much richness in our district from Johnson Ferry/Shallowford area to Powers Ferry Corridor/Little Brazil, to the Battery, to the Vinings Village, and the houses along the river at Cochise, the ever growing Smyrna, the historic Rose Garden, and winding through the subdivisions all around Walton, Wheeler, and Pope. We had members of our community from all walks of life.
“This is a community that I grew up in for nearly 20 years. It’s where my brothers took the journey from Mt. Bethel elementary to Walton High School. I recall receiving my first library card when East Cobb Library was a stand-alone building in what is now a fully grown Merchant’s Walk. I remember walks at the Avenue with my family and our visitors, visits to Cumberland Mall, and the new memories at The Battery!
“This district is where I purchased my first home, and am currently growing my family with my soon-to-come baby girl. I have so much pride in representing the community where I am from, and my heart breaks that I will no longer be able to do so. Even more so that it would be taken in a way that will not only affect me, but future district representatives all around the state. I know that’s part of the reason why the community fought so hard. I recall when this map was first drawn, the press asked me—’Are you angry?’ It took no more than a second to reply with ‘I am inspired.’ I was inspired because when these maps hit the docket at the State Capitol, it was my community that called. A diverse community that at all times never ceases to amaze me.
“We fought a hard battle over the last three and a half years and faced a significant amount of misinformation, but it did not stop us or our office from serving you. You continued to show up, volunteer, ask for work to be done, held us accountable, and pushed us to work harder and bring more voices to the table.
“So, I thank you for the honor and privilege of being able to serve you as the District 2 Commissioner. While the district no longer exists as it was, it was the district I was proud to live in and even more proud to represent. On the heels of Hurricane Katrina, as a teenager, it was this community that embraced our young family. Where we struggled, neighbors pitched in to help; and to fast forward to today where I had the opportunity to represent the community that has given so much to me fills my heart with joy and gratefulness.
“Now, we must take the next step and continue our commitment in serving. We must meet our new district and never forget that what brings us together is so much greater than what separates us. My door is always open.”
Richardson’s comments after the vote to declare a vacancy on Tuesday are included below.
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Cobb DAR Fielding Lewis Chapter members and Commissioner JoAnn Birrell (right) at a Constitution Week recognition Tuesday.
The Fielding Lewis Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution will mark the 237th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution at an observance Tuesday at the Marietta Square.
The “Ringing the Bells” celebration begins at 3:30 p.m. Around the country, bells will ring for one minute at 4 p.m. on Sept. 17, marking the exact time the Constitution was officially signed in 1787.
During a recognition this week by the Cobb Board of Commissioners, chapter members announced their traditional practice during Constitution Week of delivering copies of the U.S. Constitution to fourth-graders in both the Cobb and Marietta public school districts.
According to the recognition, “the purpose of the Constitution Week celebration is to emphasize citizens’ responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution, inform people that this important document is the foundation of our way of life and encourage study of the historical events that led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787.”
The Daughters of the American Revolution petitioned Congress in 1955 for Constitution Week, and it was signed into law in 1956 by President Eisenhower.
Constitution Day in Cobb began in 2010 via the Cobb Republican Women’s Club.
The Fielding Lewis Chapter was founded in 1904 and named after a merchant and trader and was a leader in the revolutionary movement.
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A consortium of local business interests called the Cobb Business Alliance will begin a campaign in favor of the proposed Cobb transit tax next week.
The kickoff event takes place on Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Glover Park Brewery (65 Atlanta St.), near the Marietta Square.
The event will feature “elected officials, community leaders, transit advocates and voters sharing more about the MSPLOST referendum and how it will decrease congestion, invest in transit, and move Cobb County forward,” according to a release.
The proposed 30-year, one-percent sales tax, if passed by Cobb voters in November, would collect $11 billion and fund a significant expansion of existing bus and transit services and build various transfer facilities.
Among the projects that would be funded with the transit tax is the construction of a bus transfer station in the Roswell-Johnson Ferry Road area and the restoration of two bus routes through East Cobb that were eliminated during recession budget cuts.
The Cobb Business Alliance includes a number of local companies, including Kimley-Horn, the Atlanta consulting firm that’s being paid $287,000 by Cobb government to conduct a public outreach drive ahead of the referendum.
That effort includes a series of open houses that also take place next Wednesday at various library branches.
Other members of the Alliance include the Council for Quality Growth, Georgia Power, Croy Engineering, CKL Engineers and CWM Contracting Co.
Transit tax opponents will have a campaign kickoff in East Cobb on Saturday. The Cobb Taxpayer Association will hold a town hall meeting from 12-2 p.m. at Grace Resurrection Methodist Church (1200 Indian Hills Parkway).
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After three of her colleagues voted to declare her seat vacant on Tuesday, Cobb Commissioner Jerica Richardson said she would appeal the decision to Cobb Superior Court.
In an expected move, commissioners voted to declare District 2 vacant due to county residency rules, after adopting electoral maps in August that were passed by the Georgia legislature that drew Richardson out of her seat.
It was a re-do of a vote that ended in a 2-2 deadlock last week; Richardson recused herself from both votes.
The declaration means that the county is giving Richardson a 10-day notice of a vacancy (you can read it here). Richardson will continue to serve as a commissioner during the appeals process.
If she prevails, she will be allowed to keep her seat until her term expires on Dec. 31. If she loses, an interim commissioner who resides within the legally approved District 2 boundaries would be appointed to finish the term, or possibly longer, depending on a special election in 2025 to elect her successor.
On Tuesday, Richardson, the board’s vice chair this year, presided over the meeting with Chairwoman Lisa Cupid absent as she was with the Cobb Chamber of Commerce on its annual visit to Washington.
“I trust that we can find a way to consider the real legal questions that are at hand,” Richardson said near the end of the meeting, reading from prepared remarks (you can watch the video below at the 2:17:45 mark), calling the result of Tuesday’s vote “a forced vacancy.”
“Setting the precedent that any elected official could possibly be removed at any time is dangerous and now we are watching the process happen before our very eyes.”
Commissioners voted at their last meeting to adopt the state maps after the “home rule” maps the Democratic majority adopted in 2022 were ruled a violation of the Georgia Constitution by Cobb Superior Court Judge Kellie Hill.
The state maps placed most of East Cobb in District 3, represented by Republican JoAnn Birrell. The “home rule” maps would have kept some of East Cobb, including Richardson’s home off Post Oak Tritt Road, in District 2, similar to lines in which she was elected in 2020.
The Democrats used a novel legal theory of declaring home rule powers in challenging the state maps, but the Georgia Constitution specifically authorizes the legislature to conduct county reapportionment.
The legislature did not consider maps drawn by former Cobb delegation chairman Erick Allen that would have kept Richardson in her seat; instead it passed maps sponsored by Cobb Republican lawmakers, breaking with a long-standing courtesy with local lawmakers.
Hill also vacated May primaries in District 2 and District 4 under which the “home rule” maps were used; those special elections will take place in early 2025.
Disrict 2 now encompasses along I-75 and includes most of the Smyrna/Cumberland area, pushing as east as the western side of Powers Ferry Road, close to where Richardson formerly resided.
Last month, Birrell voted against a declaration of a vacancy, saying she didn’t think what happened to Richardson was fair and wanted her to complete her term.
But she said she changed her mind because under the state map, Richardson no longer lives in her district. For the last two years, Birrell said she’s “entered a statement that I will uphold the Constitution and follow the law.”
(The brief discussion begins at the 1:52:20 mark of the video below.)
“I thought I was doing the right thing by trying to keep her in office but I have to follow the law.”
Democratic commissioner Monique Sheffield said “this is the next step in the process.”
During her remarks, Richardson reflected on her one term in office—she didn’t seek re-election amid the map dispute—to emphasize her commitment to constituents she said have been harmed along the way.
“Knowing the consequences of today—voter nullification, forced vacancies, missing representation and long-term precendence—I will work to make sure my community receives the answers they deserve and that you are not forgotten.”
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Following up last week’s story about the possible conversion of the Bay Breeze seafood restaurant on Canton Road into a liquor store:
The applicant has withdrawn his request to appeal two denials of a retail liquor permit.
During a Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday, Parks Huff, an attorney for restaurant owner Steve Constantinou, said his client wished to withdraw with prejudice.
That means that the case cannot come back up again. Huff did not explain why his client is withdrawing.
Commissioners were scheduled to hear the appeal on Tuesday, which followed months of attempts to get a liquor permit and after substantial community opposition.
The he Cobb Business License Division Manager and agency’s review board both turned down the application by BSC Packing LLC to operate a liquor store at the Bay Breeze site at 2418 Canton Road.
The 10,000–square-foot building is 177 feet from a residential property line. The county code allows denial of an alcoholic beverage license if a location is within 300 feet.
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The owner of the Bay Breeze seafood restaurant in Northeast Cobb wants to operate a liquor store at that location.
But after the Cobb Business License Division Manager and the agency’s review board denied that request earlier this year, the matter will be going to the Cobb Board of Commissioners next week.
An agenda item for Tuesday’s meeting indicates that there will be a public hearing after Bay Breeze appealed the denials, which were issued due to distance requirements to nearby homeowners.
More than a dozen citizens also sent e-mails to the Cobb Business License office opposing a liquor store.
Documents filed for Tuesday’s meeting indicate that the building at 2418 Canton Road is 177 feet from a residential property line. The county code allows denial of an alcoholic beverage license if a location is within 300 feet.
Some businesses, especially restaurants, often appeal those decisions to get waivers that are typically approved on a routine basis.
But retail liquor stores can be a different matter.
BSC Packing LLC and owner Steve Constantinou said in the appeal that it is seeking a license to operate a daily package store at the current Bay Breeze site, which is just under 10,000 square feet.
The building sits in front of the Chimney Cottage neighborhoood, where much of the opposition has come from.
In July, the license review board upheld the initial denial for an alcohol license. BSC Packing has retained attorney Parks Huff of the Sams Larkin Huff law firm to represent it at Tuesday’s hearing, which is conducted like a court proceeding.
But opposition to a liquor store has been brewing for months.
Agenda item documents include e-mails from last November to the business license agency from nearby residents, who said there are other liquor stores in the area and another such business would be detrimental to the community.
They include Carol Brown of Canton Road Neighbors, a civic association, who said that there are safety concerns because of more frequent vehicular traffic stemming from a liquor store.
She noted that the Bay Breeze property was zoned neighborhood retail commercial (NRC) in 2007 “and therefore may escape close scrutiny” for the final plans,
Another resident counted seven package stores and 11 gas stations selling alcohol in a two-mile radius. Bay Breeze is located on Canton Road just below a busy intersection with Piedmont Road.
A Chimney Cottage resident wrote to the license review board that a liquor store “would attract an undesirable element and detract from an otherwise wholesome family environment. With everything going on in today’s society, this is just not something I want to worry about.”
East Cobb News has left a message with Huff seeking comment.
In its notice of appeal, BSC Packing said the store would start with three employees who would be trained on proper alcohol sales policy and would be subject to termination for sales to minors.
The applicant also said that a video recording, storage and retrieval system would be established that is “commensurate with the size and layout of the store and parking lot after converting from a restaurant.”
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Cobb Commission District 3 boundaries and voting precincts (in light green), just posted to the Cobb Elections website. For a larger view click here.
More than two years after they were approved by the Georgia legislature, Cobb Board of Commissioner districts are finally being reflected on county government websites and in other official documentation.
That’s because commissioners on Tuesday voted to adopt the maps after losing an appeal over the “home rule” maps commission Democrats adopted in 2022 but that were ruled unconstitutional by a Cobb judge last month.
For voters in East Cobb, however, a lengthy saga of chaos and confusion is only partially over.
While almost all of East Cobb is in District 3—represented by Republican commissioner JoAnn Birrell—District 2 Commissioner Jerica Richardson, whose “home rule” district included some of East Cobb where she lives—is declaring herself a “de facto” commissioner.
Her colleagues declined on Tuesday to give notice of a vacancy in the new District 2, where she is not a legal resident. The legislative maps drew her out, prompting her and her two Democratic commissioners to attempt to use home rule authority to assert reapportionment powers the Georgia Constitution has delegated only to the legislature.
If that vacancy is declared, she would have the right to challenge her removal in court. But during the discussion, Birrell said she thought Richardson should serve out the rest of her term.
“We don’t have answers to a lot of questions” regarding her status on the Cobb commission, Jerica Richardson said, calling it “a deep, deep Constitutional crisis.”
The vote was tied at 2-2 (Richardson had to recuse herself), and commissioners didn’t indicate if they would take up the matter again.
Her term expires on Dec. 31. Richardson, who did not seek re-election amid the home rule controversy, said on a “community huddle” call with constituents Thursday that as far as she’s concerned, “the seat is vacant, but I don’t know that it is,” a reference to having no formal notice of a vacancy.
She said she’s not sure at the moment what powers, if any, she may still have, especially about sitting in official meetings and taking votes.
“I still want to know if there is some authority under which I’m operating,” Richardson said on the call, adding that it’s a “deep, deep Constitutional crisis.”
Cobb commissioners don’t have another official meeting until Sept. 10.
But the question of whether some of her appointees may not be able to continue to serve—also due to district residency requirements—is uncertain as well.
Among them is David Anderson, Richardson’s appointee to the Cobb Planning Commission, which meets next Tuesday.
He’s a resident of what is now being recognized by the county as District 3, living in the area around Murdock Elementary School.
Planning Commission members serve concurrent terms as the commissioners who appoint them, so Anderson’s term also expires at the end of the year.
East Cobb News has inquired with the county about whether Anderson and other Richardson appointees may be affected by the new maps but has not received a response.
As for East Cobb voters who had been in District 2 under the “home rule” maps: While they got to vote in that race in the May primaries, they won’t be eligible to cast votes in the special elections that were ordered for early next year by Cobb Superior Court Judge Kellie Hill.
She vacated the primary results in Districts 2 and 4 because the Cobb elections board also used the “home rule” maps.
The official District 2 runs along I-75 and includes most of the Smyrna/Cumberland area, pushing as east as the western side of Powers Ferry Road.
Here are the precincts in East Cobb that went from District 2 under the “home rule” maps to District 3 under the state maps commissioners adopted this week:
Chestnut Ridge 01
Dickerson 01
Dodgen 01
Eastside 01
Eastside 02
Fullers Park 01
Hightower 01
Murdock 01
Mt. Bethel 01
Mt. Bethel 03
Mt. Bethel 04
Powers Ferry 01
Roswell 01
Roswell 02
Sewell Mill 01
Sewell Mill 03
Sope Creek 01
Sope Creek 02
Sope Creek 03
Terrell Mill 01
Timber Ridge 01
Birrell and Keli Gambrill, the other Republican commissioner from District 1 in North and West Cobb, were re-elected in 2022 using the state maps.
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Cobb County government has begun its rollout of an “education” campaign for the proposed 30-year, $11 billion transit tax referendum.
What’s being called the Cobb Mobility SPLOST (Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax), or M-SPLOST, is the main ballot issue for local voters in the November general election, and this week the official information website for that referendum was launched.
It contains a project list, maps, financial figures, ballot language and more. Here’s what voters will see on their ballots:
“Shall a special 1 percent sales and use tax be imposed in the special district consisting of Cobb County for a period of time not to exceed thirty years and for the raising of funds for transit and transit supportive projects? These projects will be as defined in O.C.G.A. § 48-8-269.40, and will be inclusive of the approved project list within the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority Regional Transit Plan (ARTP).
“If imposition of the tax is approved by the voters, such vote shall constitute approval of the issuance of general obligation debt of Cobb County in the principal amount not to exceed $950,000,000 for the above purpose.”
Like the Cobb government and Cobb school SPLOSTs, the M-SPLOST would collect one percent of sales tax revenue on the dollar to fund the creation of more than 100 miles of new bus routes, along with transfer stations.
That includes restoring bus routes through East Cobb that were cut during the recession, as well as construction of a transfer station in the Roswell-Johnson Ferry area.
Those supporting the tax say Cobb needs more transit options with a growing population that’s expected to surpass one million by 2025. Opponents say the tax is too long and that ridership figures haven’t demonstrated enough demand for such a system.
The proposed high-capacity bus route through East Cobb, along Roswell Road, that’s on the M-SPLOST transit tax referendum.
Earlier this year, the MDJ reported that ridership across the overall Cobb bus system has plummeted from 3.7 million annual trips in 2014 to just under 1 million trips in 2022, and that the decline began well before COVID-19.
A total of $6 billion from the referendum would be used to build out and expand “high capacity” transit, including the East Cobb route.
But that route—designated as an Arterial Rapid Transit route, or ART—wouldn’t be built during the first decade of the transit tax, according to build-out projection maps on the M-SPLOST website.
Another East Cobb route is a “Rapid Route” that would connect the East Cobb transfer station with the Dunwoody MARTA Station, heading down Johnson Ferry Road.
Here’s a further breakdown of what transit-tax revenues would fund if the referendum passes:
73 Miles of Bus Rapid Transit
34 Miles of Arterial Rapid Transit
325 Miles of Expanded Local, Commuter, and Rapid Transit
6 New/Enhanced Transit Facilities
100% Countywide Microtransit Coverage
Increased Paratransit Service
$1 Billion investment in Transit Supportive Projects
Earlier this year, the MDJ reported that ridership across the overall Cobb bus system has plummeted from 3.7 million annual trips in 2014 to just under 1 million trips in 2022, and that the decline began well before COVID-19.
The county estimates that average daily ridership on the transit system could surpass 40,000 by 2025, near the end of the sales tax period. Currently, that figure is only around 3,000 riders a day.
The consulting firm Kimley-Horn put together the website and is responsible for flyers, brochures and other forms of communication, as part of a $287,000 contract with the county.
The M-SPLOST website and other materials are supposed to be neutral on the subject of the referendum—not advocating a position on the issue.
But transit tax referendum opponents are skeptical. Language in the “M-SPLOST Funding” section explains what would happen either way:
If the MSPLOST is approved by voters, the MSPLOST will ensure that the cost of Cobb County Transit is shared by all consumers who purchase goods within the county. This shift would distribute the funding responsibility across all residents, businesses, and non-residents (including commuters and tourists). Additionally, increased transit funding provided through dedicated financial streams like the proposed MSPLOST enhances Cobb County’s ability to secure matching funds, making us more competitive for grant awards.
If the MSPLOST is rejected by voters, Cobb County will, for the foreseeable future, continue to operate CobbLinc with local property taxes as the primary revenue source, supplemented by standard federal funds and customer fares.
Cobb transportation staff will hold public meetings regarding the referendum in the fall, but those details have not yet been announced.
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Cobb commissioners voted Tuesday to adopt commission electoral maps approved by the Georgia legislature more than two years ago, after using different maps that were recently ruled unconstitutional.
But commissioners couldn’t pass a resolution that would have begun a process to vacate the seat held by Jerica Richardson because her East Cobb residence is no longer in District 2.
On Tuesday night, a lengthy meeting created more heated rhetoric—along partisan and racial lines—and included a citizen launching a blistering tirade at another commissioner.
It also created more confusion about how long Richardson may be in office. County code requires that commissioners vacate their offices if they don’t live in their districts.
The board voted 3-2 to adopt the legislative maps, but with Richardson recusing herself, commissioners were knotted 2-2 on approving a motion to declare a vacancy.
Since October 22, Cobb has recognized electoral maps (left) that kept Richardson in District 2 (in pink) that were ruled unconstitutional last month. On Tuesday commissioners approved state maps that put most of East Cobb in District 3 (yellow).
If that resolution had passed, the county would have had 10 days to declare a vacancy in a process that allowed for Richardson to contest her removal in court.
On Wednesday, Cobb government issued a statement saying that Richardson is still a commissioner, but didn’t indicate for how long.
The statement said that the failure to pass a resolution declaring the District 2 seat vacant allows Richardson “to continue serving as the district’s representative.”
During Tuesday’s lengthy discussion, Republican Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, whose District 3 includes most of East Cobb in the state maps, said she didn’t want Richardson to have to leave immediately.
“I do struggle with this,” Birrell said, “but I don’t support this, giving notice kicking her out. I think she should finish her term.”
‘Two years of hell’
Commissioner JoAnn Birrell called the map dispute “two years of hell.”
Richardson is part of the three-Democrat majority that voted in Oct. 2022 to adopt maps drawn by former State Rep. Erick Allen, then the Cobb legislative delegation chairman, that would have kept Richardson in her seat.
They claimed “home rule” authority to adopt those maps after the legislature approved maps that placed Richardson, who moved to a home off Post Oak Tritt Road in 2021, into District 3.
But Birrell and fellow Republican commissioner Keli Gambrill were among those saying that the Georgia Constitution allows only the legislature to conduct county reapportionment.
They read statements into the record before casting votes in meetings starting in January 2023 objecting to the “home rule” maps.
Birrell didn’t like the Allen maps because her district would be majority Democratic. She said that “she looked at all scenarios to keep Jerica in District 2, but the numbers didn’t warrant that. . . .
“It has been two years of hell going through this.”
Sheffield had previously noted that legislators told them that “when we draw maps we don’t consider political parties. It’s for the citizens of Cobb County.”
Gambrill was an initial plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging those maps and later eventually dismissed by the Georgia Supreme Court due to a lack of standing.
Another legal complaint was filed by Republican Alicia Adams in April, after she was disqualified from running in District 2 under the home rule maps that were being followed by the Cobb Board of Elections.
On July 25, Cobb Superior C0urt Judge Kellie Hill ruled in favor of Adams, declaring the “home rule” maps unconstitutional.
Hill also ordered special elections for early 2025 in District 2 and District 4, since those maps were used for May primaries.
Richardson is a first-term Democrat who decided not to seek re-election earlier this year, opting instead for an unsuccessful Congressional bid, as the map dispute lingered.
Her term expires on Dec. 31. The same goes for District 4 Commissioner Monique Sheffield of South Cobb, who won a May Democratic primary based on the county-adopted maps.
They voted against the resolution to adopt the legislative maps on Tuesday.
Sheffield, who on Monday described the partisan squabbling on the board as “political Crips and Bloods,” wanted to pull the item for further discussion. She also was “all for” seeing Richardson complete her term.
But Birrell, who has been insisting her colleagues “follow the law,” said the matter has dragged on too far.
“This has to end tonight,” she said. “It has gone on too long.”
While what happened to Richardson “isn’t fair,” Birrell continued, “the bottom line is we don’t have the authority to draw a map.”
She, Gambrill and Chairwoman Lisa Cupid voted in favor of adopting the state maps.
Cupid continued to claim that “a great harm” was done to Cobb by the legislature in bypassing local delegation courtesies during reapportionment.
On the motion to declare a vacancy, Gambrill and Cupid voted in favor, while Birrell and Sheffield voted against.
‘You are a joke’
After Richardson returned to the dais, several public commenters had their say.
One of them, East Marietta resident Don Barth, tore into Cupid and Sheffield.
Barth is a Democrat who was disqualified in District 2 by the Cobb County Democratic Committee in the primaries for not living in that district according to the home rule maps.
A frequent public commenter, Barth greeted commissioners by saying, “you are a joke,” and ramped up the rhetoric from there, attacking Cupid, Sheffield and Cobb County Attorney Bill Rowling in particular.
“You wonder why there’s no trust? You earn trust. You haven’t earned anything lady,” he said to Cupid. “You have been the worst thing for Cobb County.”
But Cupid cut off his comments after he yelled at Sheffield, with him shrieking that “I don’t work for you, you work for me!”
Sheffield said his comments, and their tone, made her feel “threatened.”
Barth replied that “you are a drama queen!”
After repeating that line twice, he was removed from the podium and escorted out of the room by law enforcement.
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Cobb commissioner Monique Sheffield—second from right—said that “we have become nothing more than political Bloods and Crips. . . . No offense to the Crips and Bloods.”
Instead of hammering out the beginning steps toward resolving a long, bitter dispute over electoral maps, Cobb commissioners on Monday launched into some of their harshest rhetoric yet on the matter.
During a work session to go over Tuesday’s meeting agenda, the partisan—and even racial—divides that have marked the saga boiled over more than they ever have.
The county opted last week to accept a Cobb Superior Court judge’s ruling that “home rule” maps adopted in late 2022 by the commission’s Democratic majority violated the Georgia Constitution.
As a result, the Cobb County Attorney’s Office proposed a resolution to adopt legislative-approved commission maps and give legal notice to vacate the District 2 seat—which had included some of East Cobb—due to residency issues.
That resolution is supposed to be on Tuesday night’s meeting agenda, but the work session Monday left that in doubt.
(You can watch the full discussion of the home rule issue in the video below.)
A notice to vacate, if approved, could mean that Democratic incumbent Jerica Richardson—who did not seek re-election—may have to leave office before her term expires at the end of December.
But Comissioner JoAnn Birrell of East Cobb—one of two Republicans on the board—wanted her colleagues to repeal the “home rule” maps before doing anything else.
They were approved by the Democrats, claiming “home rule” exceptions under state law, after Richardson was drawn out of her East Cobb home. The Republican-led legislature did not consider maps approved by the county’s Democratic-majority legislative delegation that kept Richardson in District 2.
But in late July, Judge Kellie Hill said the Cobb’s action was unconstitutional because only the legislature can conduct county reapportionment. She also ordered special elections for next year to redo the results of primaries in District 2 and District 4 that were conducted with the “home rule” maps.
Birrell’s request to repeal those maps was opposed by Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, who said that action was not on the agenda and hadn’t previously been discussed in work sessions.
“Until [the home rule maps are] repealed, we can’t move forward with any notice” regarding the vacancy, insisted Birrell, who reiterated a desire for outside counsel.
She and fellow Republican commissioner Keli Gambrill questioned the advice commissioners were getting from their in-house legal counsel.
Gambrill said she noticed that during an executive session on the issue, the county attorney’s staff kept separate sets of notes, with two in red (indicating the two Republican commissioners) and three others in blue (noting the Democrats).
“This is strictly political at this point,” Gambrill said. “Is our counsel going by the law or going by the majority?”
She and Cupid began raising their voices over one another, then Gambrill took aim at Richardson, who said she would recuse herself from a vote, saying “this item is being sent directly to me . . . I’m leaving my future up the four of you.”
Richardson said a vote to repeal the maps would be a home rule act that has been ruled unconstitutional and that “you can’t have it both ways.”
Monique Sheffield, a first-term Democrat from District 4 in South Cobb, blamed Republican lawmakers for bypassing local delegation courtesies during reapportionment in 2022.
“This is very political and it started at the statehouse when Commissioner Richardson was drawn out of her district,” Sheffield said.
“What’s happening in Cobb County is what’s happening nationally. People are dug in on their side, regardless of what is right.
“We have become nothing more than political Bloods and Crips,” she added, making a reference to criminal gang rivals. “No offense to the Crips and Bloods.”
That remark drew some chuckles, but the nearly 40-minute discussion was far from a laughing matter.
Sheffield took a bleaker turn, saying Richardson had received “nasty and disgusting” text messages that “takes me back to a time where people were not welcome in this country. People are still not welcome.
“When you have a young commissioner who decides to move in an area still within her district and she’s drawn out, but when she’s told she should move to an urban area, and that someone wants to ‘protect’ their community, that may not resonate to some of you but that resonates to me.”
When a spectator objected to that comment, Cupid said “you can get up and leave.”
Sheffield said that if Richardson were a Republican, “would we see all of this here? I don’t think we would.”
Richardson didn’t say anything in response to Sheffield’s comments.
The last two years, commissioners have heard “we want her out of her seat. We want blood, we want blood,” Sheffield continued, pounding her fists on the table.
At that point, Birrell interjected: “I didn’t say that.”
Sitting just a couple of feet away, Sheffield turned to her and said: “I didn’t say that you did. . . . This is an indictment on whoever feels that way.”
Later, Birrell said that her request to repeal the “home rule” maps isn’t about any of that.
“This is following the law and upholding the Constitution of the United States, the state of Georgia and Cobb County,” she said.
“The only way to settle this once and for all” is to publish public notices like were done with the “home rule” map approval process with two public meetings before voting to repeal them.
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