East Cobb Government

Cobb to appeal court order for new commission elections

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Cobb County is appealing a recent court ruling ordering new commission elections, continuing a dispute over electoral maps at that’s nearly two years old.

The county issued a statement Tuesday saying it’s filed motions in Cobb Superior Court to become a party to a complaint filed in March against the Cobb Board of Elections and reverse an order by Judge Kellie Hill last month that invalidated primary elections for commission districts 2 and 4.

In the statement the county said its action is an attempt to reverse the order “to ensure proper legal procedures were followed and to protect the interests of Cobb County taxpayers.” The new action is asking that the May primary results stand.

The filings come several days after commissioners conducted an executive session that didn’t specify a reason.

Hill said that those elections were conducted using maps approved by the commission’s three Democrats and violated the Georgia Constitution.

The county maps were approved under a claim of home rule. But in her ruling, issued July 26, Hill backed up a January ruling by Cobb Superior Court Judge Ann Harris that only the Georgia legislature can conduct county reapportionment.

Kennesaw-area resident Alicia Adams had filed a complaint against the elections board—not the county—after being disqualified as a Republican candidate in District 2 under the home rule maps, which include some of East Cobb. She lives within the District 2 boundaries in the legislative maps.

“The Court, having ruled the Home Rule Map unconstitutional in the companion appeal finds the Plaintiff has a clear legal right to seek qualification for the Cobb County Commission, Post 2, using the Legislative Map, if qualified, to run for a special primary in that post,” Hill states in the ruling.

That decision invalidate the District 2 and 4 primaries until most likely after the November general elections. The terms of Democratic commissioners Jerica Richardson and Monique Sheffield, respectively, expire in December.

In its filings Monday, the county referenced the rights of voters in the two affected districts, saying new elections would be “disruptive and contrary to the public interest” to change the maps with the general election so close.

New elections could deprive voters in those areas of elected representation possibly in June of next year, and hit taxpayers with the cost of special elections, the county is now arguing.

“I am hopeful the judge in this matter can provide clarity in responding to our county attorney’s inquiries on behalf of our Board,” said Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, a Democrat, in the county’s statement on Tuesday.

She’s on the November ballot seeking a second term. Sheffield won her District 4 Democratic primary easily, and would have been unopposed in November.

In District 2, former Cobb school board member Jaha Howard won the Democratic primary, and East Cobb resident Pamela Reardon qualified under the home rule maps. Hill’s order would disqualify Reardon.

Richardson, who was drawn out of her East Cobb home in District 2 under the legislative maps—triggering the long-drawn-out-dispute—decided not to seek re-election and ran unsuccessfully for 6th District Congress.

East Cobb News has left a message with Richardson seeking comment.

The two Republican commissioners, Keli Gambrill of North Cobb and JoAnn Birrell of District 3 in East Cobb, oppose the county’s new legal filings (their terms expire at the end of 2026).

Birrell was re-elected in 2022 under legislative maps that placed most of her district in East Cobb.

Both GOP representatives have filed statements at each board business meeting since January 2023 stating their objections to the home rule maps.

Cupid, Richardson and Sheffield voted in October 2022 to approve the home rule maps to conduct county business. The Cobb elections board decided earlier this year to follow those same maps for the primaries.

The county is no longer arguing for the validity of its maps, but the process for determining how two of its district commissioners will be chosen by voters.

“While the county agreed it would return to the state legislative map in a lawful and orderly manner, the motions were filed to ensure proper legal procedures were followed and to protect the interests of Cobb County taxpayers,” the county’s statement Tuesday states.

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Cobb commissioners to hold special-called meetings Thursday

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Cobb County Government logo

Members of the Cobb Board of Commissioners have been called to attend a special-called meeting and hold an executive session Thursday.

According to a notice filed by County Clerk Pam Mabry, commissioners will gather at 1:30 p.m. Thursday “to vote to go into executive session to discuss matters which may be properly discussed in Executive Session.”

There were no more specifics indicated in that notice, which was sent to East Cobb News by the Cobb communications office in response to more information.

Under Georgia law, elected bodies can hold executive sessions for three reasons: land, legal or property matters, and a specific reason must be stated before the executive session is held.

Cobb commissioners hold three official voting meetings per month: Regular sessions on the second and fourth Tuesday, and a zoning hearing on the third Thursday.

They also typically hold one or two work sessions a month, also in public.

The announcement of Thursday’s meetings comes days after a Cobb judge ruled the Cobb commission’s “home rule” redistricting maps violated the Georgia Constitution, and ordered new elections for commission races in District 2 and District 4.

The lawsuit was filed against the Cobb Board of Elections, which also used the “home rule” maps in the May primaries.

Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said in a response to that ruling on Friday that “I respect the judge’s ruling and we are assessing how to move forward.”

County spokesman Ross Cavitt told East Cobb News in response to a question if the county would appeal by saying that “there has been no discussion at this point about any further legal action.”

In her ruling last Thursday, Cobb Superior Court Judge Kellie Hill was hearing the appeal of Alicia Adams, a Republican who had been disqualified in District 2 after filing to run under maps approved in 2022 by the Georgia General Assembly.

Those maps drew current District 2 Commissioner Jerica Richardson out of her East Cobb home. She and the commission’s two other Democrats voted in October 2022 to observe maps drawn by the Cobb legislative delegation, citing “home rule” privileges.

But Hill confirmed a January ruling by Cobb Superior Court Judge Ann Harris that the “home rule” maps violated the Georgia Constitution, which gives the legislature the authority to conduct reapportionment for county electoral maps.

The county wasn’t a party to Adams’ complaint, but it did appeal a separate lawsuit challenging the “home rule” maps after Harris’ ruling. The Georgia Supreme Court in May declined to take up that appeal, claiming the plaintiffs, a Cobb married couple, lacked standing.

East Cobb resident Mindy Seger, a Democratic activist and ally of current District 2 Cobb Commissioner Jerica Richardson, challenged Adams qualification under the “home rule” maps.

Since Hill’s ruling, Seger has not indicated whether she may appeal. East Cobb News has left a message seeking comment.

Richardson, who lost in a U.S. Congress primary in May, also has not spoken publicly about the matter since Hill’s ruling.

The special-called meeting Thursday takes place at 1:30 p.m. in the 3rd floor conference room of the Commissioners’ Conference Room, Cobb County Building, 100 Cherokee Street, Marietta.

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Cobb FY 2025 budget, millage rate adopted amid tax relief pleas

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Cobb FY 2025 budget adopted

The outcome was as predictable as the calls to do otherwise.

After hearing homeowners begging for tax relief for several hours, the Cobb Board of Commissioners voted along party lines Tuesday night to adopt a fiscal year 2025 budget and millage rate that includes substantial spending increases.

They held the general fund, fire fund and other millage rates from the present fiscal year 2024 budget.

But the new $1.3 billion budget means property owners will still be paying more in taxes due to rising assessments.

At two public hearings Tuesday night—one for the millage rates and the other for the budget proposal—citizens pleaded with commissioners to “roll back” the property tax rates.

The new budget includes a 9 percent increase in spending, and $41.3 million more in general fund increases along, mostly to pay for public safety salaries and benefits.

Overall spending across all funds is $63.7 million.

(More budget information can be found by clicking here.)

The three Democrats who make up the majority voted in favor, while the two Republicans voted against.

But there was little discussion before those votes were cast.

Some citizens said their assessments have gone up by much more, exceeding 30 percent in some cases, and causing an undue burden with inflation.

As in the two previous hearings, Tuesday’s hearing included pleas from citizens to find ways to cut spending.

“Stop DeKalbing us. Stop Fultonizing us,” said Alicia Adams, a Republican who’s challenging her removal as a commission candidate in a continuing legal dispute over electoral maps. “We’re Cobb County.

“Our money isn’t your money. Live by a budget. Our family does, so you need to too.”

Cobb resident Hugh Norris noted earlier during the hearing that the Austell City Council rejected a budget that included a 106 percent property tax increase, with only the mayor left to defend it.

“The constituents showed up, and apparently, the city of Austell, city council members remembered that they’re supposed to represent their constituents. . . . So far every single speaker has been against this, so we shall see where you all shake out.”

Because the millage rate didn’t roll back to fiscal year 2024 spending, the state considers that a tax increase, and the county had to advertise and hold three public hearings.

The general fund millage rate of 8.46 would have to be rolled back to 7.761 mills to meet 2024 spending, and the fire fund of 2.99 would have to be rolled back to 2.8 mills.

GOP commissioner Keli Gambrill referenced voter frustrations going back to 2018, when a previous board voted to increase the millage rate.

She said at the time, the county didn’t have much in funding reserves, “we are not in that position today.

“That is where the people are upset not many of them can have money in the bank earning the interest like the county is. This is where some of the frustration is. . . . We’re collecting more money than we should.”

Applause broke out when she said that, but Gambrill’s Democratic colleagues were unswayed.

Cobb chief financial officer Bill Volckmann presented a list of budget items passed last year that represent $16.5 million this year, and are long-term obligations.

Chairwoman Lisa Cupid read them aloud, and later extended her remarks to claim that the increases are needed to catch up with years of underfunding operations, and to pay for public safety overtime due to staffing shortages.

County department heads requested 380 new positions, but the FY 2025 budget includes only five.

Cupid said “I personally don’t care for” a higher tax bill, but that Cobb operates at a lower millage rate than most local governments in metro Atlanta.

“The significant wins” of Cobb government, Cupid added, are done largely on the backs of county employees.

“They try their best to serve you, with the limited dollars they have. . . Cobb County is known for providing stellar service, and we’d love to do it for free. But you and I both know it doesn’t operate like that.”

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Cobb FY 2025 budget and millage rates set for adoption

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Cobb FY 2025 budget and millage rates set for adoption
East Cobb resident Jan Barton holds up a sign at a public hearing Wednesday for the proposed Cobb fiscal year 2025 budget.

Cobb commissioners are scheduled to adopt the fiscal year 2025 budget for Cobb County government as well as the 2024 millage rate on Tuesday.

The budget proposal that was presented earlier this month calls for $1.27 billion in spending, $41.3 million increase in the general fund from the current fiscal year 2024 budget, and holding the line on the general fund millage rate at 8.46 mills.

That constitutes a tax increase under state law, since there is no proposed “rollback” millage rate to match current spending levels.

Commissioners have held two of three required public hearings on the budget, with the final hearing set for Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the board room of the county office building at 100 Cherokee St., Marietta.

The property tax revenues in the proposed budget are a 9 percent increase from fiscal year 2024.

A number of citizens have asked commissioners to reduce the millage rate due to rising property tax assessments.

On Wednesday during a special-called public hearing on the budget, they held up graphics showing how the costs of daily living have gone up for citizens.

“Lower the millage, otherwise it is a nine percent increase,” said East Cobb resident Jan Barton.

“The only thing down is weekly average earnings. Your decisions are putting people out of their homes.”

Maria Cooper, who said she’s on a fixed income, rattled off household costs that have gone up for her and asked for the millage rate to be rolled back. “I don’t want to be pushed out of Cobb County,” she said.

The overall proposed budget includes $63.7 million in new spending, with an additional $14.7 million for the fire fund, with a proposed millage rate to remain the same at 2.99 mills.

Only five new positions would be created in the FY 2025 budget, whittled down from 382 requests for new jobs from department heads.

Also in the proposed budget is a reduction in the amount of Cobb Water System revenues to the general fund, from six percent to five percent.

The Cobb finance department has created a presentation (click here ) breaking down how property taxes are divided, what general fund revenues pay for, and “how the county will spend this year’s budget growth.”

During the Wednesday hearings, resident Sue Marshall held up a copy of the budget brochure and said the county could have done a better job of informing the public of the meeting.

A Cobb resident since 1977, she said previous commissions held town halls and actively asked for public feedback.

“But you’re not doing that,” she said. “You want to raise taxes and keep up with the Joneses and be more like DeKalb and the city of Atlanta.”

Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid responded to some of the commenters.

“It’s very difficult for all of us, for my family, to know how much we’re paying,” she said. “A lot of this is being driven by fair-market [home] values. We are not building houses to the rate of demand.”

Cupid said commissioners have a duty to be stewards in maintaining basic county operations. Two-thirds of the additional revenues for FY 2025 will be paying for public safety salaries and benefits.

“You said we should value public safety and we do,” she said. “If this budget does not pass we won’t be able to sustain the raises that we’ve recently provided for those who are sworn officers.”

More budget information can be found by clicking here.

The full agenda for Tuesday’s meeting can be found by clicking here.

You also can watch on the county’s website and YouTube channels and on Cobb TV 23 on Comcast Cable.

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Richardson to hold ‘taxpayer clinic’ and budget session

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From the office of Cobb Commissioner Jerica Richardson:Lower Roswell Road project delayed again

I am pleased to invite you to Commissioner Richardson’s special Community Chat on the FY25 Budget, which is tomorrow, July 18 at 6:30pm.

The event will kick off with an in-person “Taxpayer Clinic” from 6:00 – 6:30 p.m. at Sewell Mill Library [2051 Lower Roswell Road] in the Community Room. Commissioner Richardson will offer to individually review your tax bill and answer any questions you may have about a line item. Please bring a copy of your 2024 property tax bill with you if you plan to attend the clinic.

Then, from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Commissioner Richardson will host a virtual Community Chat to focus on the FY25 Budget. We strongly encourage you to attend this informative event to gain a deeper understanding of the budget and share your thoughts/ideas.

Please note that the Community Chat will be held virtually via Zoom. You must register in advance to receive the Zoom meeting link.

Click here to register: https://form.typeform.com/to/ExccWdv5

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Cobb indefinitely tables action on proposed stormwater fee

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Cobb indefinitely tables action on proposed stormwater fee

After months of fiery public meetings and contentious public comments over a proposed stormwater fee, the Cobb Board of Commissioners decided Tuesday to table consideration of the measure indefinitely.

Commissioners voted unanimously (5-0) to hold off action to impose a fee based on impervious surface amounts after being unable to find consensus on such a proposal, which would have involved code amendment changes.

The board voted in March to delay taking up the matter again until August, and had publicly advertised public hearings for Aug. 11 and 27, with possible action on the latter date.

But during a brief discussion Tuesday, Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid conceded there’s plenty of division on the board about the issue.

“We were very close to bringing this in August but there are some minor details we’re still looking to get some consensus on,” she said before the vote, but didn’t specify what they might be.

“Taking care of our infrastructure is very important and that includes our water infrastructure.”

She had been leading the charge for a fee, saying the Cobb County Water System doesn’t have adequate funding and staffing to handle stormwater issues as it is.

The fee would have changed how stormwater services are charged to customers, who currently are billed based on water usage.

The other two Democrats on the commission have been generally supportive of making such a change, saying Cobb cannot handle stormwater management with $8.4 million currently allotted annually in the water system budget.

The board’s two Republicans have been opposed to the proposal, including JoAnn Birrell of District 3 in East Cobb.

She held a town hall meeting on the stormwater fee proposal in March, and it drew a full house of citizens opposed to what they have decried as a “rain tax.”

But those three Democratic-held seats are up for re-election this year. Cupid and District 4 commissioner Monique Sheffield are seeking re-election (the latter is unopposed in November).

District 2 commissioner Jerica Richardson of East Cobb is stepping down after one term after a redistricting dispute that’s still in the courts and her unsuccessful run for the U.S. Congress.

Also on the Nov. 5 general election ballot is a transit tax referendum that would impose a one-percent sales tax for 30 years that has drawn some public opposition.

The vote to place that referendum on the ballot also split 3-2 along the same partisan lines.

The stormwater fee proposal crafted by the Cobb Water System included a fee schedule that ranged from charging $2 to $12 a month for most residential customers, in addition to their existing water and sewer charges.

The motion to table the measure had been on the commissioners’ consent agenda, but was moved to the regular agenda.

Birrell asked how it might come up again.

“They could be brought to the board in the future if directed by the board,” Cobb Water System director Judy Jones said.

“But there is not a target date for bringing this up. Unfortunately we couldn’t come to a meeting of the minds.”

Sheffield thanked Jones for her agency’s work putting together a comprehensive approach to addressing long-term stormwater needs.

Jones said that “we’ve put a lot of time in the office on this and our personal staff put a lot of time into this.”

Cupid told her colleagues that additional funding for stormwater could come up in the upcoming fiscal year 2025 budget that’s set to be adopted by the end of the month, because “there will be a need to fund stormwater and we’ll have to figure out how.”

But in reference to tabling the measure, Cupid said “this was a wise decision,” It is important that we have consensus of the board in order to move forward.”

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Cobb revokes health spa license for Canton Road business

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The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday revoked a health spa license for a business on Canton Road following complaints that it didn’t have properly licensed therapists and for other violations stemming back nearly two years.Cobb revokes health spa licenses for Canton Road businesses

During a special hearing at the end of a regular business meeting Tuesday afternoon, Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, whose District 3 includes the Canton Road area, said the allegations are very serious and have not been corrected since initial citations were issued in 2022.

“To me, they’re not minor violations,” she said. “They’re serious. We’re concerned about a hardship putting somebody out of business, but when you don’t follow our code and our laws we have no choice.”

The vote to uphold the recommendation of denial by the Cobb Business License Review Board was 4-0, with Chairwoman Lisa Cupid leaving the hearing early.

The Asian Wellness Massage (3372 Canton Road, Suite 110), which is owned by Lingxia Zhang, had its health spa license revoked and must close. although it can reapply in 12 months. Cobb is currently observing a six-month moratorium on issuing new health spa licenses, following requests from county officials to review those regulations.

The board voted 4-0 to continue a similar hearing to Aug. 13 for V Massage (2800 Canton Road, Suite 1200), at the request of the business’ attorney, citing family obligations.

A third health spa in East Cobb, Peace Spa at 4994 Lower Roswell Road, decided not to appeal the license review board’s decision to issue a two-week suspension earlier this year.

The hearing Tuesday for the Asian Wellness appeal lasted nearly three hours and was complicated by interpretations from English to Mandarin for the benefit of the owner.

Ellisia Webb, the Cobb Business License Division manager, said the issue of alleged violations there first came to the county’s attention when she was contacted by the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, which said it had reason to believe Asian Wellness Massage was advertising on various adult websites.

Cobb revokes health spa licenses for Canton Road businessesAsian Wellness was denied a renewal in April after a compliance check found that an employee on premises didn’t have a required health spa permit and another was not listed as an employee of the business.

Agency officials said that during a police compliance check in late 2022, an investigator noticed that people were living on the premises, with a bed in a hallway, as well as hot plates, suitcases, non-work clothing and several pairs of shoes.

In testimony Tuesday, Zhang denied the business was being used for illicit purposes, and said the bed, which was new, belonged to an employee.

V Massage was denied a renewal of its health spa license in April. During a February compliance check, two employees were on-site, and neither could produce a require health spa permit. There also were no records of massage treatments provided, and the business did not post its operating hours, also violations of county code.

Meng Lim, an attorney for both health spas, pleaded for other correctional measures that did not involve the revocation of licenses.

“Do we use this opportunity to make sure that they don’t have a livelihood?” he asked commissioners in the hearing for Asian Wellness. “We all know that the board has a lot of discretion. . . .

“All businesses have minor infractions, and there are remedies for that.”

Sam Hensley, attorney for the Cobb Business License Division, said “we are looking for people who can follow the rules. They are the last line of defense for bad things happening in our community.”

He said there’s concern in the community for the potential for illicit activities, “including trafficking and sexual conduct occurring at businesses providing massages.”

Hensley said two years after the initial 2022 citations issued to Asian Wellness, “we’re still having the same problems. . . . We’re here to protect the community, not that individual.”

Commissioner Monique Sheffield said in reference to the Asian Wellness ads on adult websites that “they’ve taken additional steps to market their illicit massage, and that’s concerning to me.”

She referenced a bed in the back of the business that “I find it to be a stretch that it was just taken out of the packaging and left there. That doesn’t make sense to me. A lot of things are just not adding up to me.

“I have a difficult time accepting some of the testimony as being truthful.”

Cobb County Attorney Bill Rowling said V Massage will be able to stay open until commissioners hear its appeal.

“We cannot force her to close,” he said, in reference to the owner.

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Cobb asked to deny renewing 3 East Cobb health spa licenses

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Cobb to consider six-month moratorium on new health spas

Following up a post from a couple of weeks back, on a measure to issue a moratorium on new health spa licenses in Cobb County:

On Tuesday’s Board of Commissioners meeting are three appeal hearings for health spas in East Cobb. The Cobb Community Development Agency is asking the board to determine if “due cause” exists to deny renewing all three licenses.

That includes the Peace Spa at 4994 Lower Roswell Road, which was the subject of a recent investigation by that agency as well as Cobb Police, following a complaint that “stating the possibility of sexual activities being offered.”

Commissioners approved a six-month moratorium on June 25. In asking for the pause, Cobb Community Services Director Jessica Guinn said that “this is a serious concern for the protection of the health, safety and welfare of the public. Community Development and Public Safety have determined that the illicit health spa establishments are evading code and law enforcement; therefore, a temporary moratorium will provide a necessary opportunity to review the Cobb County Code to enhance regulations and strengthen protections to the public by suspending any health spa applications and further reviewing this regulatory process.”

Peace Spa had its health spa license suspended for two weeks following a Cobb License Review Board hearing in which the agency said the business didn’t have a state-licensed therapist or designated manager on the premises during business hours, which is required by law.

According to agenda items for Tuesday’s meeting, denial letters have been issued recently to two other spas, Asian Wellness Massage (3372 Canton Road, Suite 110) and V Massage (2800 Canton Road, Suite 1200), for similar violations.

According to agenda filings, Asian Wellness Massage was denied a renewal in April after a compliance check found that an employee on premises didn’t have a required health spa permit and the other was not listed as an employee of the business.

Agency officials said that during a police compliance check in late 2022, an investigator noticed that people were living on the premises, with a bed in a hallway, as well as hot plates, suitcases, non-work clothing and several pairs of shoes.

V Massage was denied a renewal of its health spa license in April, according to an agenda item. During a February compliance check, two employees were on-site, and neither could produce a require health spa permit. There also were no records of massage treatments provided, and the business did not post its operating hours, also violations of county code.

All three owners are appealing those denials, and commissioners are scheduled to conduct those hearings near the end of Tuesday’s meeting.

They also will conduct their first public hearings on the proposed fiscal year 2025 budget and millage rate.

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta).

The full agenda can be found by clicking here.

You also can watch on the county’s website and YouTube channels and on Cobb TV 23 on Comcast Cable.

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Cobb Water System probing Lake Allatoona wastewater spills

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The Cobb County Water System announced Tuesday that it is investigating three separate instances of treated wastewater being released into Lake Allatoona in the last month that didn’t meet state environmental standards.Cobb Water System to ask for rate increase

A release issued through the Cobb government communications office said that there have been three readings of “out of specification test results” from wastewater released from the water system’s Northwest Water Reclamation Facility since late May.

A total of 7 million gallons of “out of spec” wastewater was spilled into the lake. When that happens, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division requires a public notice.

Cobb said last weekend that routine tests conducted last Thursday, Sunday and Monday revealed “out of spec” readings, and that immediate action was taken.

“The released wastewater, which was disinfected, poses no threat to our drinking water supplies. No cleanup or remediation is required,” the Cobb release said.

On Tuesday, Cobb County said the water system is continuing to determine the cause of the readings. which could come from “a contaminate introduced into the wastewater system that interferes with microorganisms used in the treatment process.

“Test results are pending, and crews are working to adjust the plant’s operations to prevent a repeat.”

Cobb is permitted to release 12 million gallons of treated wastewater daily into Lake Allatoona, the primary source of drinking water for Cobb County.

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Proposed Cobb FY 2025 $1.27B budget raises property taxes

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Proposed Cobb FY 2025 $1.27B budget holds line on tax rates

The proposed Cobb County government budget of $1.27 billion for fiscal year 2025 won’t be raising any property tax rates.

But it won’t be scaling them back, so due to rising property assessments, that constitutes a tax increase according to state law.

Following a budget presentation Tuesday afternoon at a the Cobb Board of Commissioners work session, the county announced the proposed increase, and laid out the schedule for budget and millage rate hearings in July.

The budget includes a $41.3 million increase in the general fund, mostly due to recurring expenses pertaining to raises in the step-and-grade salary structures for public safety personnel.

That represents two-thirds of that additional general fund revenue, which stems from an estimated net Cobb tax digest growth of around 6 percent.

That’s down from 2023, when the tax digest grew by more than 12 percent.

The current adopted FY 2024 general budget is $898 million, and is proposed to rise to $961 million, holding the line at 8.46 mills.

(You can read the details of the budget presentation by clicking here.)

The property tax revenues in the proposed budget are a 9 percent increase from fiscal year 2024.

The overall proposed budget includes $63.7 million in new spending, with an additional $14.7 million for the fire fund, with a proposed millage rate to remain the same at 2.99 mills.

Only five new positions would be created in the FY 2025 budget, whittled down from 382 requests for new jobs from department heads.

Also in the proposed budget is a reduction in the amount of Cobb Water System revenues to the general fund, from six percent to five percent.

Commissioners didn’t discuss the budget proposal at the work session, except to ask a few questions.

Last year, citizens pleaded with commissioners to roll back the millage rage to offset higher property assessments, citing inflation and other rising daily living expenses.

But the 3-2 vote to adopt the budget without tax rate cuts was along partisan lines, with the Democratic majority saying the additional revenues are needed to address chronic county government staffing shortages.

At a commission meeting Tuesday night, some citizens protested the FY 2025 proposed budget for similar reasons as a year ago.

“Citizens in the county are running out of money,” Marietta resident Tracy Stevenson said. “I hear it from a lot of people all the time. Nobody’s happy about it.”

He referenced a proposed stormwater fee and a transit tax referendum in November as potential additional burdens on taxpayers.

“There is no end to it—the bloodlust for the taxpaying dollar is phenomenal.”

Formal public hearings on the proposed FY 2025 budget will take place July 9 at 9 a.m., July 16 at 6:30 p.m. and July 23 at 7 p.m.

Adoption of the budget and the proposed millage rates is scheduled for July 23 at 7 p.m.

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Cobb to consider moratorium on issuing health spa licenses

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Cobb to consider six-month moratorium on new health spas

The Cobb Board of Commissioners will be asked next week to adopt a six-month moratorium on issuing licenses for health spas in order to make possible changes to county ordinances.

An agenda item for a business meeting Tuesday night referenced “a growing problem with illegal and illicit activities at health spas including various code violations, prostitution and human trafficking.”

The agenda item (you can read it here) didn’t specify any incidents, but the proposed measure comes shortly after the county fined the owner of an East Cobb health spa for several violations and a review board approved a suspension of its health spa license.

While the state oversees the licensing of massage therapists in Georgia, local governments regulate the businesses.

According to county documents, Cobb business license compliance officials, as well as an investigator from the Cobb Police Department, inspected Peace Spa at 4994 Lower Roswell Road in April after receiving a complaint from a different agency “stating the possibility of sexual activities being offered.”

A summary of a Cobb License Review Board show cause hearing in May (you can read it here) said that the business, which has a license to run a health spa with massage services, didn’t have a state-licensed therapist or designated manager on the premises during business hours, which is required by law.

The only staff person who was there when inspectors arrived was a woman who was not included on an official list of Peace Spa employees, according to the show cause summary.

The owner, Xiangnan Zhang, is a state-licensed therapist, but had gone home temporarily. The summary said she was cited for three violations, including not filing an employee list with the county, not recording treatments provided and allowing unlicensed persons to provide massage therapy services.

(You can read the county code regulations on health spas by clicking here.)

The summary said Zhang pleaded guilty to the charges in Cobb Magistrate Court and paid the fines, and that the Cobb License Review Board voted to impose a two-week suspension of Peace Spa’s health spa license.

But the report, which said Zhang took over the business from a previous owner in January, did not detail any illicit activities. It said that Zhang apologized for the violations and said she would be hiring a licensed massage therapist to help with the business.

At their June 11 meeting, commissioners were to have considered a withdrawal of a request to review the suspension.

But that matter was pulled from the consent agenda with Commissioner Jerica Richardson saying it was to come back for a hearing.

Cobb’s proposed 180-day moratorium would follow similar action by the City of Roswell, which last year twice paused issuing new health spa licenses.

Undercover police discovered what they alleged was a network of prostitution and human trafficking activities at several health spas, and the city council voted to close seven of them during the moratorium.

An AJC news report indicated the health spas in Roswell were “operating without valid licenses and had either been previously closed or changed ownership as a way to continue operating illegally.”

In the agenda item for Tuesday’s meeting, Cobb Community Services Director Jessica Guinn said that “this is a serious concern for the protection of the health, safety and welfare of the public. Community Development and Public Safety have determined that the illicit health spa establishments are evading code and law enforcement; therefore, a temporary moratorium will provide a necessary opportunity to review the Cobb County Code to enhance regulations and strengthen protections to the public by suspending any health spa applications and further reviewing this regulatory process.”

You can read the proposed resolution for the moratorium by clicking here.

The agenda item is on the commission’s consent agenda; the meeting begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta).

The full agenda can be found by clicking here.

You also can watch on the county’s website and YouTube channels and on Cobb TV 23 on Comcast Cable.

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Cobb government offices, libraries closed for Juneteenth Wednesday

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Submitted information:Cobb government offices libraries closed for Juneteenth

Juneteenth marks the ending of slavery throughout the nation at the end of the Civil War. On June 19, 1865, nearly two years after President Abraham Lincoln emancipated enslaved Africans in America, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, with the news. More than 250,000 African Americans embraced freedom by executive decree in what became known as Juneteenth or Freedom Day.

Cobb County Government offices will be closed Wednesday, June 19, in honor of the holiday.

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Cobb approves $7M Lower Roswell Road construction contract

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Cobb approves $7M Lower Roswell Road construction contract
Outgoing Cobb commissioner Jerica Richardson said “we’ve found as many compromises as possible” for the long-planned Lower Roswell Road traffic project.

Despite community pleas in opposition and a local district commissioner saying it’s not needed, the Cobb Board of Commissioners voted along party lines Tuesday to start on the long-planned Lower Roswell Road traffic project.

The 3-2 vote for a $7 million contract also was matched by similar votes to begin condemnation proceedings with two property owners and to begin preliminary utility relocation work.

Nearly $11 million has been budgeted in 2011 Cobb SPLOST funds for the project, which would add turn lanes, install a multi-use trail and make other changes along Lower Roswell between Woodlawn Drive and Davidson Road.

It’s been delayed for more than a decade, including in February, when a first vote was tabled by commissioners following community opposition.

The project would take two years to complete, and business owners told commissioners in February the median remains “a bad idea.”

Cobb commissioners approved a conceptual plan in 2022. Further public feedback prompted DOT later in 2022 to redesign the project, including removal of a planned bike path and expanding a multi-use trail.

DOT officials said the project is necessary primarily to reduce crashes in the area.

The board’s three Democrats, including Jerica Richardson of District 2 in East Cobb, voted in favor on all three matters, while the two Republicans voted against.

One of them, JoAnn Birrell of District 3 in East Cobb, said there’s a reason one of her former colleagues—now-retired District 2 Commissioner Bob Ott—never brought the Lower Roswell Road project to a vote.

She said feedback she’s received against the project is “overwhelming,” estimating that to be 10-1 from messages, open houses and at meetings.

“I can’t support this,” Birrell said, “especially putting businesses out. It’s taken 14 years to come back.”

There have been numerous delays and redesigns, and objections from business owners to a median on Lower Roswell between Johnson Ferry and Davidson.

Keli Gambrill, a Republican from District 1 in North Cobb, said she doubted there’s enough funding left from a SPLOST 13 years ago to complete the Lower Roswell Road project.

She held up the proposed Cobb Mobility SPLOST project list, noting that the estimated costs totaled on that list exceed the estimated $11.2 billion that would be collected if the referendum passes in November.

Among the bus routes that would be added would be one along Johnson Ferry Road between Merchants Walk and the Dunwoody MARTA Station.

“This whole project flies in the face of promises made‚yes by a previous board to the business owners in that area,”   Gambrill said. “I don’t think the county is being honest with the citizens  . . . not knowing what the M-SPLOST is also planning to do with this area.”

Richardson said the two issues are not related, and that “we’ve found as many compromises as possible” to accommodate business owners.

A citizen opposed to the project, Leroy Emkin, said there have been 27 crashes along that area of Lower Roswell in the last decade, according to DOT figures, suggesting that roughly six crashes a year shouldn’t justify a median.

But Cobb DOT Director Drew Raessler has repeated previous statements that there were 40 crashes from 2009 and 2016 that could have been prevented with a median.

Pamela Reardon, an East Cobb resident running to succeed Richardson, blasted the vote afterward, saying that the 30 businesses that will be affected “have not had a voice, even though this board says they have.

“This is a useless project. It’s a waste of time. It’s a waste of money.”

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Cobb voters to decide on 30-year transit sales tax in November

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Cobb voters to decide on 30-year transit sales tax in November
“Let’s give the voters the opportunity to decide,” Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said.

Cobb commissioners voted along party lines Tuesday to place a long-term transit sales tax referendum on the November general election ballot.

It will be up to voters to decide if they want to tax themselves for 30 years and collect nearly $11 billion to build out a comprehensive bus-centered system, including restoration of previous routes in East Cobb that were eliminated more than a decade ago.

The commission’s three Democrats voted in favor of putting the Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax on the ballot, while the two Republicans voted against.

If approved, the one-percent tax would increase the amount of sales taxes paid in Cobb from six to seven percent. Cobb DOT would build out a countywide bus transit system, including high-capacity routes and transfer stations, adding 108 miles.

Here’s how the referendum will be worded on the November ballot:

The Atlanta Regional Commission estimates that Cobb’s population in 2025 will approach one million.

Those in favor of the tax say that relieving congestion and providing transportation for those without vehicles is necessary for economic and quality of life, especially seniors and those who are financially challenged.

Among the priorities is re-establishing a bus route through the heart of East Cobb, from Marietta and along Roswell Road to the Johnson Ferry Road area, where a transit center would be built.

Bus routes to Roswell and the MARTA Dunwoody Station would link with the East Cobb transit center in the Merchants Walk area, according to the project list (you can read it here).

Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, in calling the opportunity to expand public transportation in Cobb “transformational,” implored her colleagues to let citizens decide their future.

“What it comes down to is do we perceive that the future is worth it?” Cupid said. “That the opportunity is worth it?  Yes, the details do matter, but the opportunity and the vision also matter.”

But Commissioner JoAnn Birrell of District 3 in East Cobb repeated her objection to the duration of the tax, compared to other Cobb SPLOST collections ranging from four to six years.

“I can’t support binding not just future boards for 30 years but citizens, kids and grandchildren,” she said. “They’ll be paying that.”

Cobb DOT Director Drew Raessler explained that the 30-year length of the cost is due to the substantial operational costs that will be involved, and that the longer collection period would qualify for federal matching funds.

In order to provide “sustainable funding,” he said, a transit program needs “to have that consistent resource,” Raessler said.

If the tax is approved, Cobb would take out revenue bonds totalling $11 billion to get the program started. Once the collections roll in, the major routes would be built out and the bonds be repaid. With federal funds, Cobb could spend nearly $15 billion overall for the transit expansion.

Raessler estimated that most of that work would be finished within the first decade. Cobb would be able to fund all transit operations with the sales tax, instead of paying for the Cobb Community Transit system costs as it does now, through the county’s general fund.

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.

Citizens spoke in public comment periods on both sides of the issue, but most of the supporters addressed the board before the vote, and opponents against (commissioners hold two separate public comment periods, and speakers speak in order of when they sign up).

Jim Kerr of East Cobb, who has lived in a home near Wheeler High School for 52 years, said “it’s time to think long-term about transportation in Cobb County.”

He said that while he will benefit little from a decision to approve a sales tax for transit, “I know that Cobb is becoming older and more diverse and that’s not going to change . . . Not in my backyard fails to recognize that we are all in this together. ”

Kennesaw resident Alicia Adams said a 30-year tax poses too much uncertainty, especially for people struggling to pay their bills now.

Alicia Adams of Kennesaw, who is legally challenging her disqualification for the District 2 commission race, said wasn’t speaking for or against the tax, but sympathized with citizens who are struggling with those making ends meet.

“Right now, there are a lot of families that can barely make their rent and pay for groceries,” she said. “And you’re asking them to pay additional money.

“Do I care about those who can’t get around? The seniors? Yes, I care,” she said. “But we’ve got to do it in a way that’s not invasive.

“Are we willing to put our children, our future at stake for 30 years of uncertainty?”

Cobb DOT officials will soon roll out public information and “education” sessions before the referendum. It also must provide a ridership survey ahead of the vote, as directed by the ATL, the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority.

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Setting Cobb transit tax referendum on commissioners’ agenda

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Setting Cobb transit tax referendum on commissioners' agenda

The Cobb Transit Tax Advisory Board has endorsed putting a referendum on the November ballot for a 30-year transit tax in Cobb County.

Cobb commissioners on Tuesday are expected to take action on an agenda item to ask voters for approval of what’s being called the Cobb Mobility SPLOST (Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax).

The advisory board’s endorsement, plus a recommendation from the ATL, the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority this week, were the final requirements before commissioners can formally consider putting a referendum to the public.

Another prerequisite was releasing a project list for the proposed 30-year, one-percent sales tax, which would collect an estimated $11 billion to build out a countywide bus transit system, including high-capacity routes and transfer stations.

Richardson East Cobb transportation forum

Among the priorities is re-establishing a bus route through the heart of East Cobb, from Marietta and along Roswell Road to the Johnson Ferry Road area, where a transit center would be built.

Bus routes to Roswell and the MARTA Dunwoody Station would link with the East Cobb transit center, according to the project list (you can read it here).

There hasn’t been a public bus route in East Cobb since a previous Roswell Road route, and another linking to Dunwoody, were discontinued in the early 2010s when commissioners made recession-related budget cuts.

If the referendum is approved, it would restore bus service to East Cobb that was eliminated in county government budget cuts during the recession.

At the time, that route, bus line No. 65, had one of the lowest ridership figures in the Cobb Community Transit system.

The only CobbLinc route in the East Cobb area for now is along Powers Ferry Road.

Cobb DOT officials haven’t estimated any ridership numbers for the proposed routes.

But last month, commissioners approved the spending of $23,000 for a consultant to provide ridership projections. Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. also is being paid $287,000 by the county to develop an education program for the public ahead of the 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.

But commissioners are likely to approve placing the referendum on the Nov. 5. Democrats hold a 3-2 majority, and the two Republicans have said a 30-year tax is too long.

ATL required Cobb to conduct a ridership survey, and at this week’s meeting projected an average ridership of more than 40,000 a week, a substantial increase from current figures.

In remarks this week at the ATL meeting, Lamberton said that “sadly, without that requirement, there is no doubt in my mind that the County would not provide those projections—which I regard as bizarre given the scope and length of the proposed tax increase. I say this because I and other concerned citizens have repeatedly been asking for that information and have been completely stonewalled by the County.”

He wanted a different firm from Kimley-Horn to do the projections, citing a conflict of interest.

“My concern is that data can be manipulated to produce ridership forecasts designed to support specific agendas such as persuading the public to endorse an increased sales tax over the next 30 years,” he said.

Cobb has cited Atlanta Regional Commission estimates that the county will have a population of more than one million people by 2050, compared to more than 766,000 in the 2020 census.

As Brad Humphry, a a mobility member of Commissioner Jerica Richardson’s citizen “cabinet” said last fall at a town hall meeting in East Cobb, “We’re in the transit environment that was envisioned 30 years ago.

“The opportunity is now to envision the transit system of the future.”

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Cobb spills 12M+ gallons of wastewater into Lake Allatoona

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Cobb government officials said Tuesday that more than 12 million gallons of wastewater were released from the Cobb County Water System’s Northwest Water Reclamation facility last week that “did not fully” meet its standards.Cobb County Water System, Cobb water bills, East Cobb water treatment plant odor

A release said that 6.46 million gallons were released on May 21 and another 5.7 million gallons on May 22, but that the wastewater had been treated and “will not impact drinking water supplies.”

Cobb Water officials on Tuesday declared the wastewater to be below standards, per Georgia Environmental Protection Division criteria, after receiving routine compliance sampling results, but they didn’t elaborate.

“CCWS operations staff are investigating the cause but report that the plant is operating normally,” according to the release, which added that upstream and downstream water quality testing has begun in the discharge location around the lake.

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Cobb Memorial Day closures and observations announced

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Submitted information:Cobb Memorial Day closures and observations announced

Cobb County Government offices will be closed in observance of Memorial Day, May 27. Many county services will remain available online through cobbcounty.org.  Memorial Day is a solemn time when we remember and honor those who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Memorial Day ceremonies in Cobb:

• Pay your respects at noon Monday at the Marietta National Cemetery, 500 Washington Avenue NE.  

• Powder Springs Memorial Day Ceremony will be at noon Monday at the Veteran’s Memorial in front of the Powder Springs Library, 4181 Atlanta Street, Powder Springs.

• Smyrna Memorial Day Ceremony is scheduled for 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Veterans Memorial next to City Hall, 2800 King Street SE, Smyrna.   

• Acworth Memorial Day Ceremony is 10 – 11 a.m. Monday at Cauble Park, Patriots Point, 4425 Beach Street, Acworth.

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Cobb approves ridership study for transit tax referendum

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CobbLinc World Series bus service

Cobb commissioners on Tuesday approved spending $23,000 for a consultant to provide ridership projections for proposed projects listed for the county’s transit tax referendum that’s on the November general election ballot.

Along party lines, commissioners voted 3-2 to authorize Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. to do the ridership projections. They also voted to formally submit the project list for the Cobb Mobility SPLOST (Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax) to the Transit Link Authority of metro Atlanta, a prerequisite for the referendum.

The proposed 30-year, one-percent sales tax would collect an estimated $11 billion, primarily for building out a high-capacity bus transit system in the county, and increase other transit operations.

They include restoring a two-pronged bus line between the Marietta Transfer Station and the Roswell Road-Johnson Ferry area, and from there to the Dunwoody MARTA Station.

Another local bus route would connect East Cobb and Roswell, but route specifics haven’t been released.

There also would be an East Cobb Transit Center constructed, but a specific site has not been determined.

Nor were details included in the project sheet (you can read it here) that would designate a Northeast Cobb microtransit zone.

If the referendum is approved, it would restore bus service to East Cobb that was eliminated in county government budget cuts during the recession.

At the time, that route, bus line No. 65, had one of the lowest ridership figures in the Cobb Community Transit system.

Cobb DOT officials haven’t estimated any ridership numbers for the proposed routes.

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.

Most of the projects on the newly released list are in South Cobb and areas of the county along the I-75 corridor, including Marietta and around Town Center and Kennesaw State University, as well as the Cumberland area and Truist Park.

Also on the project list is a proposed shuttle that would run between the Cumberland area and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

During their discussion, Republican commissioners JoAnn Birrell and Keli Gambrill said they weren’t clear whether the transit resolutions needed four of five votes from the commission to be approved.

Commissioners adopted new rules in March requiring a four-fifths vote for resolutions, but the county attorney’s office said that any item coming before the vote needs only a simple majority.

Other more formal resolutions need a fourth vote, but Birrell and Gambrill—both of whom oppose a 30-year-transit tax—voted against both measures Tuesday.

Kimley-Horn also is being paid $287,000 by the county to develop an education program for the public ahead of the referendum.

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Cobb Tax Assessor’s office to hold taxpayer info sessions

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Cobb equity report

Cobb County property tax notices have gone out this week, and assessments are going up again.

The Cobb Tax Assessor’s Office is holding special information sessions starting next week to provide assistance and information to taxpayers who may be thinking of appealing their assessments.

The first of those sessions takes place Tuesday, May 14, from 6-8 p.m. at East Cobb Library (4880 Lower Roswell Road). Another session there takes place at the same time on June 4.

Sessions continue during the appeal season in June, including on June 3 and 10 at the Mountain View Regional Library (3320 Sandy Plains Road) from 6-8 p.m.

Cobb Tax Assessor Stephen White is projecting a 7.5 percent increase in the Cobb tax digest from 2023, when it rose by 13 percent.

The estimated Cobb tax digest is expected to surpass $60 billion for the first time, following a record 2023 tax digest of around $55 billion.

“The real estate market is still moving forward in Cobb County,” but not as much as the last two years, White said in an interview with Cobb government spokesman Ross Cavitt (you can watch it here).

Cobb Tax Assessors valuation map 2024
Cobb properties to be revaluated this year are indicated in blue. For a larger view, click here.

“I don’t see them as accelerating as fast as in the prior years.”

That may not be much of a consolation for homeowners who have seen their assessments skyrocket in recent years, and without a millage rate rollback by the Cobb Board of Commissioners.

“Instead of going through 65 miles an hour last year, we’re going through 35,” is how White described the somewhat cooling effect of the assessments.

The digest projection guides commissioners during the budget process, which takes place over the summer. The Cobb government fiscal year 2025 runs from Oct. 1, 2024 through Sept. 30, 2024.

The 2024 assessment notices are based on valuations during calendar year 2023.

For the county as a whole, the average home sales price last year was $477,783, an increase from $457,065 in 2022.

But that average price jumped even higher in the two years before that, from $346,715 in 2020 to $400,799 in 2021.

By comparison, the 2019 average was $319,454.

State law requires counties and cities to provide annual updates on the fair market value of residential and commercial properties.

Revaluations take place in selected neighborhoods (seen in the blue on the map), and White said that figure this year is 140,000 properties.

White said only a small number of taxpayers—less than 3 percent—file appeals, and he anticipates fewer numbers will do so this year.

Property owners can find their assessment notices on the Cobb Tax Assessor’s website.

Each notice has a deadline date to make an appeal, and those appeals should be postmarked by no later  deadline to appeal date.

Taxpayers also go go in person to the Cobb Tax Assessor’s office, 736 Whitlock Avenue, Marietta, to file an appeal.

For more information on filing an appeal, click here or email cobbtaxassessor@cobbcounty.org.

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Cobb Water System launches new online payment system

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Submitted information:Cobb Water System to ask for rate increase

As of May 6, 2024, we have a new billing system with a new Customer Self-Service portal.

This portal has enhanced features including the ability to submit online requests for: senior discounts, water service, payment plans, leak adjustments, general adjustments, etc. To make online requests please visit our new Customer Self-Service Portal: https://ccw-css.cobbcounty.org.

We are currently experiencing a very high call volume and extended wait times. For our Frequently Asked Questions, please visit https://www.cobbcounty.org/…/customer…/request-service.

We hope the new portal will provide an improved customer experience.

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