East Cobb Government

Cobb commissioners table proposals to regulate trash service

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Cobb tables trash proposals

The Cobb Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to table code amendment proposals pertaining to trash service.

But they disagreed on when, or even if, to bring proposals back for board consideration.

By a 4-1 vote, the commissioners approved tabling the amendments until January. Tuesday’s vote came before the first public hearing on code amendments, which will be voted on Sept. 27.

The dissenting vote was from Commissioner JoAnn Birrell of Northeast Cobb, who supported tabling the trash proposals but thinks doesn’t think they need to be brought back at all.

“I think the public has been loud and clear,” said Birrell, who’s up for re-election in November in a newly drawn District 3 that includes most of East Cobb.

“This should never have been brought to the board,” she said, without talking to the haulers and the public.”

She said she’s received 1,715 e-mails from citizens, with only two in support of a proposal that would have limited trash service to one hauler per commission district.

All five board members have publicly said that they don’t support the single-hauler provision, and held a work session Aug. 31 with private providers to hear their concerns.

There was another meeting last week with the haulers and county officials to continue hammering out solutions to trash service problems that Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said have been lingering for a decade.

“I don’t know that we need an ordinance to address this code at this time.”

Later, she said that the trash proposal “need to be removed completely. If it needs to come back, it can come back.”

Keli Gambrill of North Cobb agreed with Birrell, her fellow Republican.

“These are things that can be solved by the haulers without the county’s interference,” Gambrill said via telephone, attending the meeting remotely.

Citizens in unincorporated Cobb contract with private providers for trash service. But Cupid said the county has a role in resolving service issues some citizens have had with not getting service, or getting inconsistent service.

“This is a public health matter, when there are citizens not getting service,” Cupid said. Until now, “there has not been a prod to the private market to address these issues. There is a role for us to play in this matter.”

Commissioner Jerica Richardson of District 2 in East Cobb said that while tabling the amendments “doesn’t necessarily solve the problem” of inconsistent trash service, it’s “encouragement that the right kind of dialogue is happening to address this issue.”

After the vote, speakers at the public hearing  also spoke out against the trash proposals, which included mandatory recycling.

“This amendment isn’t ready for game time,” East Cobb resident Debbie Fisher said, calling it an example of “government overreach.”

She said she found it ironic that county government is attempting to step in to dictate trash service when it “can’t mow the grass” in road medians. “That’s a problem. Limited government is always better.”

East Cobb resident Hill Wright, who started a website to galvanize opposition to the single-hauler proposal, acknowledged that while there are issues in some areas with trash service, “the county has proven that it is not the right entity to make it happen.”

Beyond the initial meetings with haulers, he said, “we need town halls,” and was critical of what he said was an initial attempt to “bypass the haulers and the public.”

One of those haulers, Brian Warren of Custom Disposal Service, thanked commissioners for tabling the code amendments. He said 75 percent of his company’s business is in Cobb, and he’s served on a task force in nearby municipality to help resolve trash issues.

He was responding to a question about how long such a process might take, and he said from previous experience that “within a six-month period we came up with a plan.”

He urged commissioners not to follow the lead of Gwinnett County, which went to a single-hauler format a decade ago, only to continue to have service problems.

“Cobb should be a county that others want to emulate,” he said. “We don’t need to emulate others with failed programs.”

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Cobb code amendments to get first public hearing Tuesday

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Cobb code amendments public hearing
Jonathan Jenkins, Director of the Cobb Sustainability, Solid Waste and Beautification Department

Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell reiterated Friday that there will be a motion made following a public hearing on Tuesday regarding proposed code amendments to table measures related to solid waste.

In her weekly e-mail newsletter, Birrell said that after the public hearing Tuesday by the Cobb Board of Commissioners, “the Board plans to make a motion and vote to table the Solid Waste code section. It is a consensus of the BOC—none of us are in favor of the proposed one hauler per district.”

She made a similar statement last week after commissioners held a special work session with private trash haulers who were opposed to proposals they said would put them out of business.

Jonathan Jenkins, Director of the Cobb Sustainability, Solid Waste and Beautification Department, had initially proposed limiting each of the four commission districts to a single hauler.

Birrell, a Republican from District 3 in Northeast Cobb who is up for re-election in November, objected, saying citizens should be free to select their own trash service.

She started her e-mail Friday by saying that “as I have stated on the record in meetings, I am in support of open market and residents being able to choose their trash provider.”

She also wanted a delay in the trash code amendments to January. Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid initially balked, saying that too many citizens have been waiting for improvements for inconsistent trash service.

But after last week’s meeting with the haulers, such a delay appears to be likely.

The code amendment proposals cover a wide range of ordinances, including major changes to the county’s short-term rental provisions, apartment inspections, smoking in public parks, and zoning.

You can read through them by clicking here.

Commissioners will also hold a second and final public hearing during their Sept. 27 business meeting at which they will vote on code amendments.

Tuesday’s public hearing comes near the beginning of the commissioners’ business meeting that starts at 9 a.m. in the 2nd floor board room of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., in downtown Marietta.

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

A full agenda of Tuesday’s meeting can be found here; other items include a recognition of Cobb County government marking 25 years of having a AAA credit bond rating by Moody’s, Fitch and Standard & Poor’s.

Commissioners also will be asked to finalize the appointment of a new county economic development director and to allocate more than $3.1 million in the county’s share of American Rescue Plan Act funding for workforce development, mental health training, and an infectious disease testing project.

The majority of the proposed funds, $2.1 million, would be used to purchase transport vehicles to assist those affected by COVID-19.

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Cobb trash haulers tell county officials: ‘We can fix this’

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Cobb trash haulers
John Swierenga, owner of Trash Taxi: “We can fix this without disrupting what we have.”

A number of mostly small and independent trash haulers pleaded with Cobb officials Wednesday to work with them to resolve long-standing service issues.

Most adamantly, they asked that Cobb not approve a code amendment that they claimed would put many of them out of business.

Even before the “trash summit” at the Cobb Civic Center, Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said neither she nor any of her colleagues were in favor of a designating a single hauler for each of four commissioner districts.

That was at the heart of a proposal by the Cobb Sustainability, Solid Waste and Beautification director presented last week during a work session.

Commissioner JoAnn Birrell had previously suggested delaying trash service changes until January, but Cupid was hopeful changes to the proposal could be hammered out by the time commissioners vote on code amendments later this month.

UPDATE: After we published this story, Birrell included the following information in her weekly e-mail newsletter:

“As the code amendment package has been advertised, there will still be a public hearing at 9 a.m. on Sept. 13 on all proposed code amendments. However, after the public hearing, we plan to make a motion and vote to table the Solid Waste code section. It is a consensus of the BOC—none of us are in favor of the proposed one hauler per district.”

She and fellow Republican commissioner Keli Gambrill attended the summit along with Cupid. You can watch the full two-hour summit below.

The trash-related proposals are expected to be pulled before commissioners vote on code amendments later this month.

“We want a code amendment framework to address all these issues,” Cupid said at the outset of the meeting, referring to five areas of concern that she said have continued since the recession.

They include some areas that haulers will not serve, inconsistent service, multiple trash haulers serving the same neighborhood, illegal dumping and a lack of curbside recycling.

Kimberly White, executive director of Keep Cobb Beautiful, a government agency, said the county had to close several recycling dropoff spots it maintained because the private hauler it contracted with “couldn’t keep up.”

Some of those locations became an eyesore, she said, and KCB is trying to reopen more spots.

Shannan Salvey, co-owner of S & B Junk Removal, said in prepared remarks that the county “couldn’t handle recycling and now you want to manage trash for the whole county.”

She said the proposed code amendment would “take away our customers’ pursuit of happiness.” A single-hauler monopoly, she said, goes against “the foundations of our country.”

Unlike the previous work session, Wednesday’s meeting with the haulers included a lengthy discussion on recycling.

The proposed code amendment also would have required trash haulers to provide recycling services, something Cupid said residents have been complaining about.

Jon Swierenga of East Cobb, owner of Trash Taxi, said he and other haulers offer recycling, but it’s not mandatory and it comes with an additional fee.

When White said that “charging extra for recycling is too much” for some customers, he responded that “it’s not that we don’t want to recycle. But we cannot absorb all that cost.

“It’s not that the service isn’t available,” Swierenga said. “It’s that customers don’t want to pay for it. That’s the issue. We want to provide the services but we can’t do it for free.”

Also sitting at the table was Parks Huff, a noted Cobb zoning attorney who was representing the haulers. He suggested improving communications with the public as well as the haulers.

“It costs the same to pick up recycling as it does trash,” he said. “That needs to be communicated.”

He also said he didn’t know there was a recycling station at Lost Mountain Park until he went there one day.

Haulers said they were blindsided by the code amendment, which was proposed without their input. Jonathan Jenkins, head of the Cobb solid waste department, said he hadn’t met with haulers since 2019.

“We need time to address these issues,” Swierenga said. “We would like to hear of complaints that we can respond to in 24-48 hours. We can fix this without disrupting what we have.”

He said he was optimistic in saying that “I see a win-win down the road on this.”

Cupid reiterated that there isn’t a proposed 18 percent fee increases for sanitation services that some opponents of the proposed code amendments had claimed.

“We want every resident to have access to trash service, a robust recycling program and reduce litter in the county,” she said in a statement in her newsletter Friday. “This is a constructive meeting, and we are going to work to improve communications and work towards a solution.”

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Cobb Elections to hold open house, job fair at new facility

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The Cobb Board of Elections and Registration recently moved to new offices on Roswell Street near the Big Chicken.Cobb Elections open house

There’s an Open House scheduled for next Saturday, Sept. 10 that also will include a job fair to fill positions for the November general elections.

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the new facility, 995 Roswell Street, Marietta.

The agency recently moved there from offices on Whitlock Avenue. The Cobb elections board voted earlier this month to relocate early voting to the headquarters, which features expanded and more secure space.

The ribbon cutting takes place at 11 a.m., and the job fair starts at 12 noon.

Representatives from every department within the elections office will be available to speak with job candidates about the open positions, which include poll workers, warehouse prep and more.

For more information about Cobb Elections, click here.

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Sunday hours to resume at Mountain View Regional Library

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Mountain View Regional Library

The Cobb County Public Library System said Monday that Sunday hours at its main branch and three regional libraries will resume starting Sept. 11.

Those locations include the Mountain View Regional Library (3320 Sandy Plains Road), as well as the main Switzer Library in downtown Marietta, the South Cobb Regional Library in Mableton and the West Cobb Regional Library in Kennesaw.

According to a release sent by the library system, they’re the largest libraries in the system.

The hours will be what they were before the pandemic—1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

For more on the services at the Mountain View Regional Library, click here. The phone number is 770-509-2725.

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Mountain View Regional Library to offer passport services

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Mountain View Regional Library passport services

The Cobb County Public Library System announced this week that starting Sept. 6, citizens can obtain passports at two of its branches.

They include the Mountain View Regional Library (3320 Sandy Plains Road) in East Cobb and the West Cobb Regional Library (1750 Dennis Kemp Lane, Kennesaw).

They have been approved as Passport Acceptance Facilities by the U.S. State Department and library staff have been trained to process passport applications.

The library system said in a release earlier this week that passport services at those branches will be available via appointment only Monday—Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Thursday—Saturday from 12-3 p.m.

But the applications will be limited to first-time adult applicants, age 16 and older, and children under 16.

Renewals will not be processed at the libraries, and passport photo services will not be provided.

The costs are a passport application fee determined by the State Department and a $35 acceptance fee, each payable by check, money order or cashier’s check.

Starting Sept. 6 the library system will begin accepting appointments online or by calling the library branches directly.

For information on passport services at Cobb libraries visit cobbcat.org or call 770-528-2326.​​​

For more information about passports in general, visit the U.S. State Department website.

 

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Cobb commissioners, officials to meet with trash companies

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John Swierenga, Trash Taxi
East Cobb resident John Swierenga, owner of Trash Taxi, addressing commissioners Tuesday.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners and the leadership of the county’s solid waste department have scheduled a “summit” next week with private trash disposal companies.

Cobb government said in a release on Friday that the meeting will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 2 p.m. at the Cobb Civic Center (548 S. Marietta Parkway).

The county release said trash company leaders are being summoned “to address a history of complaints by residents in Cobb County of missed pickups, poor customer service, and lack of recycling services.”

The meeting comes several days after commissioners heard a proposed code amendment change that would limit trash pickup services to one private hauler for each of the four commission districts.

But at Tuesday’s commission meeting, Jonathan Jenkins, Director of the Cobb Sustainability, Waste, and Beautification Department, said he had not met with trash companies since 2019, and did not seek their input before proposing the code amendment changes.

“About 20 haulers in Cobb County could be put out of business,” said John Swierenga, an East Cobb resident and owner of Trash Taxi, during a public comment period.

“Large capital [would be] needed to bid on these contracts,” he said. “We face restrictions because there’s no disposal capability we have.”

Swierenga and his brothers started Trash Taxi in 2004, and the company serves around 16,000 customers, mostly in northwest Cobb. Trash Taxi recently expanded into some areas of East Cobb.

He estimated that between 90,000 to 100,000 Cobb citizens get their trash service from small haulers, and that big companies are struggling.

One them, Swierenga said, called him to ask if he could send Trash Taxi trucks to Gwinnett County to help pick up their garbage.

Jenkins said he got the idea for dedicated haulers for a particular area of the county from Gwinnett, which recently implemented that ordinance.

“This proposal, if enacted,” Swierenga said of the Cobb proposal, “could be a colossal failure.”

Citizen complaints have focused strongly on American Disposal, one of the bigger haulers that has bought up smaller competitors to consolidate its market position.

Cobb citizens opposed to the county designating trash service also addressed commissioners Tuesday, including Hill Wright of East Cobb.

“Just stop,” he said. “You don’t know what you’re doing.”

Earlier Tuesday, at a work session on code amendments, Commissioner JoAnn Birrell of Northeast Cobb wanted the trash proposal to be tabled until January.

She and fellow Republican Commissioner Keli Gambrill said they do not support eliminating competition in trash service, and other commissioners expressed concern about the proposal.

But Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said there would be enough time to modify the proposal before a scheduled vote Sept. 27.

Wednesday’s meeting is being billed as a work session. It is open to the public, but there will be no public comment period.

The meeting can be seen on Cobb TV and citizens can e-mail  trashcomplaints@cobbcounty.org with comments and feedback.

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Cobb to spend $1.45M to hire consultant for strategic plan

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Jimmy Gisi, Cobb deputy county manager
Jimmy Gisi, Cobb deputy county manager

In a split party-line vote, the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a request to spend $1.45 million to hire an outside consultant to develop a strategic plan for county government.

The board’s three Democrats voted to approve a contract with Accenture LLP to prepare a long-term “guiding document,” in the words of Deputy County Manager Jimmy Gisi, to pull together a number of service issues and objectives.

Those include, according to an agenda item:

“A world-wide pandemic, justice reform, affordable housing, and employee retention are just a few of these challenges. The strategic plan will be the primary strategy to lead the on-going vision and priorities of Cobb County. The plan will include measurable objectives to help improve the County’s responsiveness to the public, to adapt to changes in the economy, to remain competitive, to welcome tourists, to sustain the County’s assets, and to recommend a unified vision for years to come.”

Republicans JoAnn Birrell and Keli Gambrill voted against, objecting to the cost and questioning the need for such a study.

“I know there is a need for a strategic plan,” Birrell said, “but to spend $1.4 million with all the other studies that we have going on. A million here, a million there. I cannot support it.”

Gisi told her the county negotiated down the cost with Accenture, whose initial bid was $1.8 million. The process is expected to take through the end of the year and will include public engagement, produce a long-range vision (10-20 years) and and five-year plan from 2023-2027.

Accenture, a management and professional services consulting firm, would employ eight of its staffers on the Cobb strategic plan project and would need space for up to five of its staffers at county government offices as well as parking.

(More about the project summary can be found by clicking here; Accenture’s “statement of work” can be found by clicking here.)

Gambrill said the county hasn’t taken any steps to implement a five-year plan that was laid out by former Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce in 2017.

“I can’t support this and I don’t expect a rebuttal,” she said.

But County Manager Jackie McMorris told her that was simply about restoring county services to pre-recession levels.

“We’ve never done a five-year financial plan,” McMorris said, referencing Boyce’s aspirations for what he called providing services for a “five-star county.”

Chairwoman Lisa Cupid was eager to approve the contract, saying “we finally have something we can say will help provide guidance” on establishing long-term objectives.

During a public comment period, East Cobb resident Leroy Emkin blasted the spending proposal, saying such a study should be conducted by county department heads.

Cupid responded by saying that “while we have competent employees at Cobb County, this project is outside their area of expertise.”

Commissioner Jerica Richardson of District 2 said before the vote that “it’s vital that this is truly strategic and comprehensive.”

Accenture’s statement of work calls for public engagement sessions in October, and long-range vision document by the end of October, a five-year strategic draft in November and the finalized five-year document by December.

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Sewell Mill Creek streambank repairs at Fullers Park approved

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Sewell Mill Creek streambank repairs
The ground along Sewell Mill Creek at the front of East Cobb Park has been raised into a slight crest to reduce flooding. ECN photos

Heavy flooding last September in the East Cobb area caused significant damage to the homes and properties of residents who are still dealing with stormwater-related issues nearly a year later.

The rains also caused Sewell Mill Creek to swell over, as it has done before, onto the low-lying East Cobb Park and Fullers Park.

The front quad of East Cobb Park was severely eroded after water rushed over the flat surface along the creek.

After several months, the streambank area was reworked to produce a crest between the creek and the walking path and front quad. A park bench was relocated to the front, close to a small “free library” box.

Similarly, Cobb Parks and Recreation wants to restore and stabilize a portion of Sewell Mill Creek downstream at nearby Fullers Park that also was affected by those floods.

Doing so, according to an agenda item presented to Cobb commissioners, “will stop further erosion and deterioration of the streambank and enhance the visual experience of those walking in the park.”

On Tuesday, that request was approved unanimously, with funding coming from the new 2022 Cobb SPLOST.

The lowest bidder, Integrated Construction and Nobility, Inc. offered a cost of $199,700 in bidding that took place last fall. Bids went as high as $556,000, but even the lowest bid was more than what county officials estimated for the project.

So they negotiated with the contractor to reduce the project cost to $104,500. The funding source specifically is the Countyside Parks Subsurface Infrastructure account, which is earmarked for $1.5 million over the next six years.East Cobb Park streambank repairs

That was one of several individual infrastructure contracts approved Tuesday by commissioners.

Commissioners also ratified a previous decision by Cobb County Manager Jackie McMorris to authorize emergency drainage repairs on Turtle Cove Court in the Somerset subdivision of East Cobb.

Cobb DOT replaced 120 feet of a 36-inch corrugated metal pipe that had failed and caused a sinkhole, threatening the safety of the street. The curb and gutter were also replaced, as were two catch basins and some pavement.

The repairs were completed in July and cost $308,550, with the funding coming from the 2022 Cobb SPLOST Transportation Improvements Plan.

Commissioners also voted to approve sidewalk construction in two areas of Northeast Cobb. One is a half-mile stretch on the north side of Davis Road, between Williams Road and Shallowford Road, for $726,727.

The contractor is Glosson Enterprises and the funding is coming from the 2016 Cobb SPLOST ($568K) and another $129.7K from the Capital Projects Fund Commission District 3 Sidewalk Development.

Glosson also was awarded a $476.7K contract to build a sidewalk on the east side of Shaw Road between Piedmont Road and Woodrush Road. That’s a third of a mile, with $250K coming from the 2016 SPLOST and $204K from the same Capital Projects Fund account.

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Birrell asks for Cobb to delay proposed trash service changes

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Birrell seeks delay trash service changes

Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell asked Cobb solid waste officials Tuesday to explore other options to a proposal to dramatically alter how private trash haulers operate in the county.

During a work session, Birrell said she was opposed to a proposal by Cobb Sustainability, Waste and Beautification director Jonathan Jenkins to designate a sole trash hauler to provide pickup and recycling services in each of four areas of the county.

The trash proposal, prompted by lingering complaints about inconsistent service in recent years, has drawn some citizen opposition.

“I’m in favor of an open market and people choosing who they want,” Birrell told Jenkins. “Restricting it to one hauler per district is not the solution to the problem.”

She wanted to have the matter pulled and held until the county next considers code amendments in January, “to meet with the haulers and the public.”

Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said at a later meeting Thursday night that none of her colleagues are in favor of reducing service to one hauler per district, but that there is plenty of time before next month’s public hearings on code amendments.

“We’ve been dealing with this for years now,” Cupid said. “Residents have been dealing with this for far too long. This is our best opportunity to do something.”

The work session was for presentation purposes only; commissioners will hold public hearings on the code amendments on Sept. 13 and Sept. 27, before voting on them on the latter date.

Birrell, a three-term Republican from Northeast Cobb who is seeking re-election in November, is a former consultant for Waste Management, and disclosed that she has not been employed in the industry in a decade.

She said that if the county would put trash services out for bid, she would recuse herself, but that she would want to be involved with other possible ordinance changes.

Cobb County Attorney Bill Rowling said that the proposed code amendment, as written, would allow only four trash haulers in the county, in each of the four commission districts.

“I don’t know if there are four haulers that could take on the magnitude of that kind of lift, to gear up” to provide such an expanded level of service, he said.

He added that while those “are policy issues,” there are “a lot of legal obligations” the county would have to meet.

Birrell acknowledged longstanding complaints about trash service, but said Tuesday after the new proposal was submitted, she’s heard from many citizens who are happy with their service.

“This needs to be looked at some more,” Birrell said. “There are other options we can look at.”

Cobb trash service proposals
Jonathan Jenkins, Cobb Sustainability, Waste and Beautification director

Citizens and businesses in unincorporated Cobb contract with private trash services. There have been numerous complaints about one provider in particular, American Disposal, which has bought up a number of other smaller haulers in recent years.

Commissioner Monique Sheffield of South Cobb said that she has supported revoking the license of “one company in particular” that she did not name and would not want to penalize other service providers for the acts of “one bad apple.”

Jenkins said that performance issues have increased in particular since the recession.

More than 60 haulers once provided those services, he said, but that number dropped by a half by the time of the recession; Cobb customers are currently served by 18-20 trash providers.

Republican commissioner Keli Gambrill of North Cobb called the trash proposal an issue of government stepping in far beyond what it should be doing.

She said she hasn’t received many complaints about trash services from her constituents in District 1 since the pandemic; Jenkins said he’s heard most from residents in Districts 2 and 3 in East Cobb.

Gambrill also was upset that Jenkins hadn’t met with her before crafting the ordinance change; he replied that he had discussed the issue with her in a virtual meeting.

When Gambrill asked Jenkins if he had met with any haulers, he said his last meeting with them was in the fall of 2019.

Cupid—who earlier in the work session admonished Gambrill for questioning Jenkins in what she thought was an adversarial tone—pointed out that other proposed ordinance changes haven’t always involved discussions with those in various industries and professions.

When Cobb was changing the code regarding massage parlors, Cupid said, “we didn’t talk to masseuses,” and she rattled off several other similar examples.

But Gambrill said such a proposal—to have the county assign private trash haulers—”has not been on the books. This is completely new. . . . When they’re new they go through an extensive community process” before being voted on.

Cupid replied that “this is not completely new or it would be completely underlined.”

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Water boiling advisory issued for parts of Northeast Cobb

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Northeast Cobb water boil advisory

UPDATED, Tuesday, 11 A.M.:

The advisory has been lifted.

The issue affected some businesses in the area. The Paradise Grill restaurant closed for business Monday and on Tuesday the Chick-Fil-A Lassiter on Shallowford Road was selling bottled beverages and milkshakes and not tea, coffee, lemonade and soft drinks.

ORIGINAL STORY:

The Cobb County Water System has issued a water boiling advisory for parts of Northeast Cobb after a water outage occurred Monday morning.

The advisory is expected to continue throughout Monday afternoon for the Sweat Mountain area, as well as along Sandy Plains Road to Davis Road and Shallowford Road to Wesley Chapel Road.

The advisory urges residents as well as businesses in the area to boil drinking water for at least a minute.

Cobb County government said in a release that the outage was due to a level sensor failure at the Sweat Mountain Water Storage Tank, causing “water pressure in parts of the water system to drop to low levels for a period.

“When this occurs a potential health hazard may exist in these areas of zero pressure from backflow and/or back-siphonage of water of unknown quality into the water distribution system.”

While water service has been restored to the disaffected areas, sampling continues to take place, and consumers should continue to follow the advisory before using water for drinking, cooking or preparing baby food.

For questions or information call 770-419-6200.

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Proposed changes to Cobb trash pickup draw citizen opposition

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Cobb trash pickup proposed changes
Several private trash haulers currently serve the East Cobb area.

A plan to assign trash haulers to specific parts of Cobb County will be presented to the Cobb Board of Commissioners Tuesday, as they begin dig into proposed code amendment changes to county ordinances.

The work session will take place at 1:30 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; the meeting also will be live-streamed on the county’s website, cable TV channel (Channel 24 on Comcast) and Youtube page. Visit cobbcounty.org/CobbTV for other streaming options.

Commissioners have already been hearing from citizens about the trash pickup proposal, which is designed to alleviate collection issues that have existed in Cobb for several years.

Under the proposed trash pickup amendment, four trash pickup zones would be created, and each would be designated a single hauler. Other haulers would not be allowed to service that zone.

Citizens organizing against that change, proposed by the head of the Cobb Sustainability, Waste and Beautification Department (click here to read), don’t like not having a choice and say their trash bills will go up.

A reader opposed to the change told East Cobb News that “many of us are happy with our small business haulers and don’t want the inefficient county to take over and make such demands to destroy free market competitive solutions.”

A website called Save My Cobb Trash Collector has been launched to fight the proposal. It was created by East Cobb resident Hill Wright, who said he’s heard from a number of citizens who also are upset by the proposal.

He said he’s spoken to trash haulers and they’re not happy either, with some of the smaller ones fearful they’ll be put out of business.

The website claims that Cobb is planning to charge customers an 18 percent additional fee to their trash bill.

That information isn’t in the proposed code amendment, but Wright told East Cobb News he’s heard that figure from speaking with county staffers.

The fee would be used in part to create a call center to handle citizen issues with trash pickup service.

The trash pickup change “would cause the service to get much worse,” he said. “They’re trying to solve the problem by creating a monopoly” that would be the lowest bidder.

“The lowest bidder will likely be a large company which is already not able to provide consistent service.”

American Disposal has been the dominant hauler in the Cobb area, buying up smaller competitors in recent years. But it’s also been the subject of numerous customer complaints.

Wright said some of the feedback he’s received on his website is from citizens who’ve told him they’ve left American and wouldn’t want to be forced to use them again.

Wright has used Hugh’s Garbage Service for years, and says he’s very happy with it. When he traveled frequently on business, he arranged for his trash to be picked up inside his home.

“It cost a little more, but it was worth it,” he said.

Wright said he understands the intent of the code amendment but wishes the county had been informing and working with the trash haulers.

“It’s going to hurt some people and destroy some small businesses,” he said.

The East Cobb area is serviced by several private haulers, and the Acworth-based Trash Taxi recently entered the community providing trash and recycling services.

Cobb code amendments are updated twice a year, and the current proposals cover 10 areas of the ordinance:

Administration; building regulations; fire prevention and protection; licenses, permits and businesses; nuisances; parks and recreation; solid waste; streets, sidewalks and public places and zoning.

The Cobb Community Development Agency is coming back to commissioners to attempt to regulate AirBNB short-term rentals, especially AirBNBs (Chapter 78).

The proposed amendment would require a short-term rental certificate from the county business license office, a local agent to be available 24 hours a day and following occupancy and vehicle limits.

The county also is proposing to expand its authority in the inspection of multi-family rental housing units (Chapter 18) to include a required occupational tax for apartment complex owners and inspection of a portion of a complex’ units every year.

Commissioners will hold specific public hearings on the code amendments on Sept. 13 and Sept. 27, before voting on them on the latter date.

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$1B in Cobb 2022 property tax bills issued; due Oct. 15

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Cobb 2022 tax bills due

The Cobb Tax Commissioner’s Office has mailed out 2022 property tax bills that are due by Oct. 15.

According to a release issued by Cobb government on Monday, those include 267,850 tax bills and total $1.099 billion for county services, special tax districts and the Cobb County School District.

Of those bills, 252,206 are for real property coming to $1.027 billion, while 15,644 personal property bills add up to $72 million.

The chart below breaks down anticipated collections in each category; roughly two-thirds of the receipts are for schools, followed by the Cobb government general fund and Cobb fire services.

The Cobb tax digest grew by 12.3 percent in 2022, according to the Cobb tax assessor’s office, with much of that due to rising assessments.

Cobb commissioners recently passed a fiscal year budget of $1.2 billion that becomes effective Oct. 1. They kept the general fund millage rate at 8.46 mills but raised the fire fund from 2.86 to 2.99 mills.

The Cobb school board adopted a fiscal 2023 budget of $1 billion that went into effect on July 1, maintaining the previous millage rate of 18.9 mills.

For a $500,000 home assessed at $200,000, the estimated tax bill is a little more than $5,500, with nearly $3,600 of that amount in school taxes and nearly $1,400 for the county general fund.

Cobb 2022 property tax breakdown

Those figures may vary, depending on the amount of a homestead exemption applied tot he county generalfund or an exemption for school taxes for property owners aged 62 and older.

Cobb’s six cities send out their own tax bills.

The Cobb Tax Commissioner’s Office details the 2022 tax bills.

Payments may be made online at cobbtax.org via e-Check, debit, or credit card

Phone payments can be done via an automated system by calling 1-866-PAY-COBB (1-866-729-2622).

The address for standard mail payment is Cobb County Tax Commissioner, PO Box 100127, Marietta, GA 30061.

Those paying in person can go to the Cobb Property Tax Division (736 Whitlock Avenue) and the East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road)

There also are 24/7 drop boxes for checks/money orders made payable to Cobb County Tax Commissioner at those locations and others.

For questions or information, email tax@cobbtax.org or call 770-528-8600.

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Cobb settles lawsuit with Uber driver, agrees to pay $250K

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The Cobb Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit filed against the county and six Cobb police officers by a woman who claimed they violated her constitutional rights nearly five years ago.Cobb County logo, Cobb 2017 elections

The board voted 5-0 to pay Sharon DeArmond and her attorney a total of $250,000 stemming from a 2017 incident on Windy Hill Road.

The lawsuit, filed in 2019, alleges that the officers—including Ofc. Collin Robles, Lt. Bruce Danz and Ofc. Kelvin Ramirez who were identified in the settlement agreement—unlawfully detained her.

Her suit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, charged police with illegal search and seizure, false arrest and causing her emotional distress.

The suit claims that on the evening of Oct. 12, 2017, DeArmond, an Uber driver, dropped off a passenger at an extended stay hotel on Interstate North Parkway.

She then drove to a parking lot between the Pappasito’s and Pappadeaux restaurants on Windy Hill Road and waited for her next fare, according to the suit.

DeArmond she stopped to light a cigarette when officers approached her with their police lights on and aimed their guns at her.

Her lawsuit claims DeArmond’s phone was taken from her and police searched her car without explaining why. An officer ordered her to be handcuffed and she was told her previous rider was a prostitute.

DeArmond says in her suit she was placed in the back seat of one of the police cars and was taken to a parking lot of a nearby office park, which was poorly lit.

She said an officer searched through her purse and was eventually allowed to drive away, but “was in no condition to continue driving Uber for the night,” the lawsuit states.

According to the settlement agreement, DeArmond will receive $146,238 and her attorney, Lisa Lambert, will be paid $103,762.

The commissioners added the settlement agreement vote to their agenda and did not discuss the matter before the unanimous vote.

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Cobb DOT to start Bill Murdock Road-Pine Road realignment

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Proposed Bill Murdock Road-Pine Road realignment
Cobb DOT will remove the “S” curve intersection and place it nearer to the new Walton sports complex.

Design work for a planned realignment of the intersection of Bill Murdock Road and Pine Road at Walton High School will be the subject of a public hearing Tuesday by the Cobb Board of Commissioners.

It’s one of several Cobb 2022 SPLOST projects by Cobb DOT that requires public hearings because the engineering and design costs exceed $100,000.

Design and engineering work for other road projects in the East Cobb area on Tuesday’s agenda include the following:

  • Holly Springs corridor improvements
  • Shallowford at Gordy Parkway West
  • Canton Road corridor improvements
  • Barnes Mill Road sidewalk

Those are specified as line items in the Cobb 2022 SPLOST notebook. The Bill Murdock-Pine Road project is not, as it’s lumped into a category for improvements in a school zone.

The realignment is part of ongoing construction at Walton of a new sports complex, which will house a varsity baseball field and tennis courts.

We asked the county for more details about the realignment, and Cobb DOT said that “S” curve will be removed, and pedestrian movements between the school and Pine Road will be improved in coordination with the Cobb County School District.

There’s not a cost estimate for the design or construction work included in Tuesday’s agenda item. A total of $4.1 million has been designated for SPLOST collections for school-zone DOT projects countywide through the end of 2027.

Construction on the Walton athletic complex is just getting underway with groundclearing of the nearly 25-acre tract. That project, which costs $6.7 million and is funded through the Cobb Education IV SPLOST, is expected to be completed by December.

Access points will be on Pine Road for the baseball field and Providence Road for the tennis courts. There will be parking for 80 vehicles.

The Holly Springs Road project is estimated to cost $3.9 million and includes improving the intersection at Post Oak Tritt Road.

The Canton Road corridor improvements have a project cost of $2.4 million and will stretch along much of that route.

Improvements at Shallowford Road and Gordy Parkway West are estimated to cost $700,000.

Those are all “Tier 1” projects in the Cobb 2022 SPLOST, which began collecting sales-tax revenues in January after being approved by voters in 2020. It is expected to generate $750 million in revenues both for county projects and those in Cobb’s six cities.

The Cobb DOT public hearings Tuesday will take place at the start of the meeting, which 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; also on the agenda is a final draft of the 2040 Cobb County Comprehensive Plan 5-Year Update to be submitted tothe Atlanta Regional Commission. Agenda item here; final draft here.

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

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Cobb adopts $1.2B fiscal 2023 budget; maintains millage rate

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Cobb adopts $1.4B fiscal 2023 budget
Commissioner JoAnn Birrell supported raising the millage rate for fire services, saying “they’re hurting and they need to be revived.”

In a split vote along party lines, the Cobb Board of Commissioners adopted a $1.2 billion fiscal year 2023 budget Tuesday night that expands the size of county government and provides substantial employee pay raises.

Commissioners also voted to maintain the general fund millage rate and other millage rates except the fire fund, which is going up slightly.

The board’s three Democrats voted to adopt the budget, with Chairwoman Lisa Cupid saying that while the spending package isn’t a “panacea . . . it helps us to move significantly further ahead” in addressing what she has long said are chronic staffing, salary and other issues that have affectEd service provision.

The budget includes the creation of 147 new jobs in what have been described as “critical” positions and a rise in the minimum wage for county employees from $11.50 to $17 an hour.

The two Republicans voted against the budget for varying reasons. Keli Gambrill cited “philosophical differences in budgeting” and the growing amount of reserve funding that totals nearly $52 million, saying that “to me, we are expanding government.”

JoAnn Birrell of East Cobb repeated publicly expressed doubts about the higher minimum wage. “I’m concerned if it’s sustainable year to year,” said Birrell, who also wants the county to prioritize filling existing vacancies before creating new jobs.

Commissioners also approved, by a 4-1 vote, to implement the recommendations of a new pay and classification study by a consultant that will cost $22 million in the new budget, and nearly $2 million in the current budget.

Among the recommendations is an average pay increase for full-time workers of nearly 11 percent. Gambrill was the lone vote in opposition.

The general fund millage rate—funded by property taxes and that provides for most of the budget—is staying at 8.46 mills.

But the fire fund is rising from 2.86 mills to 2.99 mills. The extra 0.13 mills is being transferred from a parks bond that is due to expire, and after fire officials said they have been deferring capital maintenance and other expenses.

Birrell supported that increase, saying in recent years, the fire fund rate has been reduced twice.

“They are hurting and they need to be revived,” said Birrell, who is seeking a fourth term in November and who has frequently said public safety needs should be at the top of budget priorities.

Cobb Tax Assessor Stephen White

The board’s vote came after a brief recess called by Cupid, who allowed public commenters to chime in, and they did so in occasionally intense fashion.

As she heard in a town hall in East Cobb last week, quite a few wanted the board to roll back the millage rate, saying inflation is taking a toll.

The Cobb tax digest has grown by 12.3 percent in 2022, netting an additional $60 million for the budget. But property tax assessments have gone up astronomically across the county.

Jim Jess of the Franklin Roundtable, a conservative group based in Cobb County, said rising gas prices alter “how people spend money in their households. People out here are hurting,” referring to senior citizens and workers who aren’t getting much of a pay raise.

Salleigh Grubbs, head of the Cobb Republican Party, told commissioners “you don’t acknowledge the looming recession.”

Debbie Fisher of East Cobb accused the county of not properly notifying the public of a tax increase in the millage rate for the fire fund.

Another East Cobb resident, Leroy Emkin, used his time not to comment on the county budget, but to rail against the World Economic Forum, the Green New Deal and wind turbines, speaking in fulminating fashion from prepared remarks.

Another East Cobb resident rose in support of the budget.

“I don’t know if Cobb is planning any wind farms,” said William Parker, “but the planet is on fire.

“Yes, some people are hurting. But it costs money to operate a county.”

Residential and commercial properties are assessed roughly every three years in Cobb County, tax assessor Stephen White said, and the state can penalize counties if they don’t perform updated fair market value assessments.

“We’re taking in a tremendous amount of [tax] money,” Gambrill said. “I agree that we need to be rolling back the millage rate.”

Birrell and Cupid are holdovers when commissioners rolled back the general fund millage rate in 2016, then faced a $32 million budget shortfall two years later.

Cupid voted for a tax increase pushed by her predecessor, Mike Boyce, while Birrell voted against it.

But with some county departments reporting staffing shortages of as much as 40 percent—including DOT, water and other frontline services, “now is the time for auction,” said commissioner Jerica Richardson, whose district includes part of East Cobb.

County department heads had requested a total of 658 new positions.

“Tonight will not be a panacea,” Cupid said. “But I believe that we are making the right decisions for today.”

The fiscal year 2023 budget takes effect Oct. 1.

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East Cobb residents challenge Cupid on budget, diversity issues

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Less than a week before a new fiscal year county budget is to be adopted, Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid took her message about taxes, spending and other issues to an East Cobb audience that was largely skeptical of many of her priorities.

A town hall Wednesday at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center dubbed “All In Cobb” was the last of four such meetings she’s held in each of the Cobb commission districts.

With East Cobb-area commissioners Jerica Richardson and JoAnn Birrell in attendance, Cupid said during the nearly two-hour event that the concerns she heard have been similar around the county over the last month.

Some East Cobb residents didn’t like seeing a slide presented by Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid about diversity issues.

Her proposed fiscal year budget of $1.4 billion holds the general fund property tax rate at 8.46 mills, but due to rising assessments many Cobb homeowners will be paying substantially higher taxes.

Cupid defended a proposal to add nearly 150 new county positions and raised the minimum wage for county employees to $17 an hour due to chronic staff shortages in many departments, including road maintenance, stormwater management and public safety.

She said while they don’t come close to addressing all those needs, with this budget “we’re going to try to fix” what she said have been long-standing concerns.

“What you’re getting from your government are beautiful buildings like this one,” she said. “I think Cobb County can do better” to provide services for a county of nearly 800,000.

“I keep hearing not to spend” on certain priorities, she said, “but you still want stellar services. It’s not working right now.”

Throughout the evening, she tried to tie affordable housing to budget and spending issues, because “people who work here should be able to afford to live here.”

She noted that the average price of newly built homes in Cobb averages around $300,000. A county employee making her proposed minimum wage of $17 an hour would earn only $33,000 in gross pay, not nearly enough to afford even that.

But a woman in the audience who owns rental housing said that some of her tenants have been forced to leave because they couldn’t afford to pay higher rents. She said she reluctantly raised them because of skyrocketing assessments.

East Cobb resident Craig Harfoot said a record Cobb tax digest is a “false digest” due to higher assessments.

“That’s too much taxes,” she said, pointing out that such renters “are the people who need” affordable housing options.

“It’s a challenge and I recognize it,” Cupid said.

Another resident said when she travels to West Cobb, she sees new sidewalks and pocket parks and “I feel like East Cobb has become the golden goose.”

Cupid said it’s a comment she hears wherever she goes in the county.

East Cobb resident Craig Harfoot said the Georgia legislature needs to look at how property taxes are reassessed.

“You’re pricing all the poor people out of their homes,” he said.

But Cupid rebuffed calls in the audience to “roll back” the millage rate in light of the proposed budget being nearly $100 million more than the current fiscal year.

“We’re trying to address things that we haven’t addressed for years,” she said. “I’m keeping the millage rate but we’re not funding” for the level of service she hears citizens demanding.

Making repeated references to Rumpelstiltskin—about turning straw into gold—Cupid said that “rolling it back won’t help that.

“There is this misperception about how robustly resourced the county is.”

Others were cool to government-driven ideas for resolving affordable housing issues.

East Cobb resident Leroy Emkin blasted the proposed creation of a diversity, equity and inclusion officer for Cobb County government.

When a resident challenged her about letting the market dictate housing costs, Cupid—who holds engineering and law degrees—said “there’s a place for government and there’s a place for the market. They co-exist.”

Some shouted “noooooo!” at those remarks.

Some audience members were rankled about a slide Cupid presented about diversity, saying it’s not just about race, but also geography and income levels, among other factors.

A woman said “I don’t treat anybody differently” to some cheering.

East Cobb resident Leroy Emkin, a frequent commenter at commissioners’ public address, was critical of a proposal in the budget for the creation of a diversity, equity and inclusion officer position.

“What the hell do we need a director for that kind of office?” he said to considerable applause.

County manager Jackie McMorris corrected his assertion that it would cost $400,000, saying that the $150,000 to be earmarked for that post—suggested by Cupid’s predecessor, the late Mike Boyce—comes from federal COVID-19 stimulus funds and is just one job, with no staff.

McMorris acknowledged “a philosophical difference in what we value,” including the acceptance of American Rescue Plan Act funds altogether.

Cobb County Manager Jackie McMorris said the proposed FY ’23 spending package “is just not a bloated budget.”

After the town hall, Birrell said she was hoping for more discussion on the budget.

“There are some things I like and some things I don’t like,” said Birrell, who is up for re-election in November in a newly redrawn district that includes most of East Cobb.

She didn’t offer any particulars, but Birrell and fellow Republican commissioner Keli Gambrill have expressed concerns about future budget impacts should the $17 an hour minimum wage be adopted.

“Some things are critical, that we need,” Birrell said. “But I am concerned about this budget being sustainable,” especially when many citizens are reeling from higher tax assessments and inflation.

Commissioners will hold a final public hearing on the proposed budget and millage rate next Tuesday night before voting on adoption then.

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Cobb commissioners accept Rite Aid opioid lawsuit settlement

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Cobb settlement Rite Aid opiods lawsuit
Missy Owen, Davis Direction Foundation

Cobb commissioners on Tuesday accepted a settlement with Rite Aid for $3.5 million after nearly four years of opioid-related litigation.

By a  4-1 vote, commissioners approved the settlement with the pharmacy chain as part of a “bellwether” series of lawsuits that included local governments in Durham, N.C. and Montgomery County, Ohio.

For several years, Cobb has been near the top in drug overdose deaths in Georgia, with nearly 200 in the year 2020, a majority of them from fentanyl and other opioids.

The lawsuit alleges that “Rite Aid failed to effectively monitor and report suspicious orders of prescription opioids from its retail stores and failed to implement measures to prevent diversion of prescription opioids, which contributed to an increase in opioid addictions, overdoses, and deaths” in Cobb, Montgomery County and Durham.

The lawsuit also claimed that “Rite Aid failed to adequately train pharmacists at its retail stores on how to adequately handle prescriptions for opioids and failed to institute policies and procedures at its retail stores to avoid the diversion of opioids.”

A trial was to have begun next year; Rite Aid admitted to no wrongdoing in agreeing to the settlement, which will cost it $10.5 million total to all three jurisdictions.

Cobb also has joined broader litigation against opioids manufacturers, who are being sued for damages stemming from the opioids epidemic.

Cobb County Manager Jackie McMorris will be forming a committee to determine how the Rite Aid settlement money is to be spent. The most likely designation could be for recovery and treatment expenses.

Before the vote Tuesday, Missy Owen of the Davis Direction Foundation, an addiction recovery non-profit, urged commissioners to agree to the settlement so the community can “begin to focus on the real task at hand—saving lives.”

Her son Davis died of a heroin overdose in 2014 at the age of 20. Since then, she and her husband founded the foundation that bears Davis’ name, as well as The Zone, a space off Fairground Street in Marietta for those in long-term addiction recovery.

She also began a recovery roundtable with former Cobb District Attorney Vic Reynolds that continues.

Owen said there were 30 hospitalizations in last month alone in Cobb for fentanyl poisoning, and that “15 of those 30 thought they were taking something other than fentanyl.

“No amount of money will ever make this right,” Owen said, fighting back some emotion. “When you ask a mother to put a price on the life of a child, there will never be enough to cover the cost. However, we can’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good that can be done with this settlement money right now.”

Commissioner JoAnn Birrell thanked her for her comments, saying “I know that it was difficult to speak up.”

Commissioner Keli Gambrill also noted Owens remarks but said that she wouldn’t vote to accept the settlement because “the lawsuit does not address the root cause” of substance abuse and addiction.

For more information, including locations for treatment, visit the Opioid Awareness in Cobb County resource page.

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Cobb County announces proposed tax increase, millage rates

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Cobb proposed tax increase
Bill Volckmann, Cobb Finance Director

After unveiling the proposed fiscal year 2023 operating budget on Tuesday, Cobb County government on Thursday officially posted a notice of a tax increase that also will be subject to several public hearings in July.

The proposed budget of $1.15 billion does not include an increase to any millage rates, including the general fund, the primary source of revenues that comes from property taxes.

But due to a 12.63 percent increase in the Cobb tax digest this year, that constitutes a tax increase according to state law, since a “roll back” in the millage rate to equal the current FY 2022 budget of $1.04 billion is not included.

Public hearings must be held by the Cobb Board of Commissioners advertising a tax increase, and they are scheduled as follows, with adoption scheduled for July 26:

  • Tuesday, July 12 at 9 a.m.
  • Tuesday, July 19 at 6:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday, July 26 at 7 p.m.

A release from Cobb government Thursday detailed the proposed millage rates that have been proposed for the FY 2023 budget, which would take effect Oct. 1:

  • General Fund 8.46 mills;
  • Fire 2.99 mills;
  • Debt Service (Bond Fund) 0.0 mills;
  • Cumberland Special Services District II 2.45 mills;
  • Six Flags Special Service District 3.50 mills.

The proposed budget would include revenues totalling $865 million from those millage rates, compared to $768 million in the current budget.

Most of the rest of the revenues would come from Cobb water system revenues.

Similarly, the Cobb Board of Education announced this week it also will be holding public hearings next July since it is retaining its millage rate for fiscal year 2023 with additional revenues.

The county has not yet posted the full FY 2023 budget on its website as Finance Director Bill Volckmann mentioned on Tuesday; here’s a copy of what was presented Tuesday to commissioners that runs 41 pages.

The budget would add 147 new full-time positions throughout county government, add a merit raise, raise the minimum wage to $17 an hour and add other recruitment and intention incentives to address that Cobb officials have said are critical staffing shortages.

Most of the increase in the tax digest, a projected $50 billion, is due to rising property assessments.

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Proposed Cobb FY 2023 budget would create 147 new positions

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Cobb proposed FY 2023 budget

The Cobb fiscal year 2023 operating budget proposed Tuesday would create 147 new positions in county government as part of a concerted effort to address what have been labeled serious staffing and employment issues.

The proposed budget of $865 million from all millage rates is up from the current fiscal year 2022 adopted budget of $768 million.

The overall proposed budget from all revenue sources is $1.15 billion, up from $1.04 billion. The majority of those additional revenues comes from water bills.

General fund revenues—which are paid for in property taxes—would rise from $496.7 million to $564.2 million for FY 2023.

There is not a proposed property tax increase for the general fund millage rate, which is 8.46 mills. Due to the Cobb tax digest increasing by 12 percent this year, that still constitutes a tax increase, since the millage rate will not be rolled back.

County officials said budget documents will be made available on its website at this link; you can watch Tuesday’s budget presentation, which lasts around two hours, by clicking here.

At a Cobb Board of Commissioners work session Tuesday, Cobb finance director Bill Volckmann said the budget figures don’t include costs for a class-and-pay compensation system that will be implemented in September.

Many of the priorities are aimed at employee recruitment and retention, and Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said the new positions are in response to feedback from constituents.

“We want to make sure our employees are valued because that’s how we provide value to our citizens,” said Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, who’s complained for years that previous commissions haven’t adequately staffed, paid and retained employees in critical positions.

“I feel like we can stand tall knowing we’ve been responsive to the years of concerns and the culmination of that over the last year.”

Among her priorities is an increase in the minimum wage for county employees to $17 an hour, which is up from around $9-$10 an hour.

There is a performance-based merit raise (budgeted at 3.5 percent), continuing a step-and-grade compensation system for public safety employees, increased funding for capital maintenance projects and more funding for Cobb and Douglas Public Health and the Department of Family and Children’s Services.

The proposal also would reduce the number of years for employees to be vested in the county pension system from 10 years to five years.

Cobb FY proposed 2023 budget

Cobb FY proposed 2023 budget

Cupid summarized some of the new positions, saying some would be added for Cobb DOT for road projects and maintenance and code enforcement and some public safety positions.

The proposal includes new positions in the Cobb Police Department, seven new positions the Fire and Emergency Services Department and six new jobs in the Emergency 911 Department.

Volckmann said another 32 jobs would be created in the court system.

She said an unspecified number of new jobs would be created in the Cobb Parks, Recreation and Public Affairs Department organize special events and programming.

Cupid said that was to address “sense of place” issues that came up during three failed cityhood referendum efforts, including one in East Cobb.

She also said the budget would include funding to conduct a “disparity study” relating to businesses owned by women, minorities and disabled veterans.

Commissioners Keli Gambrill and JoAnn Birrell, the board’s two Republican members, said they couldn’t support the disparity study.

Gambrill also expressed concern about how the employee pay raise costs may be funded over the long term.

“While we do have a [tax] digest growth that will cover this change, and this increase this year, we might not have this digest growth in two years,” she said. She said that would especially affect renters who’ve received federal COVID-related assistance the last two years.

“The last time we had a tax increase [2018] it hit them the hardest, because commercial property owners are not exempt with the homestead exemption,” Gambrill said. “This will have a future impact to the most critical needs right now in our county.”

County department heads had requested more than 650 new positions across the board, coming to $178 million in new spending.

Earlier this month commissioners approved a request to spend federal COVID-related American Rescue Plan Act funds for outsourced salaries and staff retention bonuses in “critical” positions in transportation, water, and parks and recreation.

Most of the new proposed jobs would be in what Volckmann said were departments that didn’t have many vacancies, with the exception of Cobb DOT.

Cupid said filling current vacancies would be emphasized before the new positions. Cobb government has been producing content in recent weeks about staff shortages, claiming a reported 1,000 vacancies across all government agencies.

Birrell expressed concern about requesting additional jobs with so many existing vacancies.

Volckmann said as an example that in the police department, most of the vacancies are for officers. The new requests, he said, would be for specialty positions.

“We made it very clear that these are critical positions,” County Manager Jackie McMorris said, addressing Birrell. “If you asked them to go back and cut more, ‘is to do your job, continuously, without the resources you need to do it,’ that’s not fair to them.”

Among the new proposed jobs is an events coordinator for Cobb parks, recreation and cultural affairs.

McMorris said existing staff are constantly overextended handling groundbreakings, ribbon cuttings and special events for the many activities that take place at those facilities.

When Birrell asked what an events coordinator would do during slower periods, McMorris interjected: “There is no off-season in Cobb. It’s not just the mowing and the Little League.

“There are events year-round. There are events you ask them to prepare for. There is plenty of work for that events coordinator to do.”

County department heads, McMorris continued, showing some emotion, are so conservative that “they don’t want to ask you for the basic things that they need.”

Three public hearings on the budget and millage rate have been scheduled for July, with adoption scheduled for July 26:

  • Tuesday, July 12 at 9 a.m.
  • Tuesday, July 19 at 6:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday, July 26 at 7 p.m.

Fiscal year 2023 begins Oct. 1 and continues through Sept. 30, 2023.

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