Cobb commissioners to hold special-called meetings Thursday

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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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4 thoughts on “Cobb commissioners to hold special-called meetings Thursday”

  1. Can our Chairwoman be removed from office?
    She has knowingly broken the law.
    This little stunt she pulled has wasted a lot of money on legal fees and also time and also primaries that are now invalid.

    This means all decisions made by the Board of Commissioners have been illegal and therefore not legitimate. Especially 3 democrat to 2 republican votes.
    Our tax increases and budget are not legitimate need to be thrown out.
    This Board has no legitimate authority.

    Our Chairwoman is arrogant and incompetent and has been the cause one fiasco after another for Cobb County. She has turned our county into a laughingstock and damaged people financially with her harebrained schemes.

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