Cobb to hear ’27 budget proposal, consider SPLOST referendum

The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday will be formally presented the fiscal year 2027 budget proposal during a work session.

That evening, they will be asked to adopt a resolution establishing a referendum in November to extend the Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax starting in 2028.

Commissioners will be holding two public hearings in July on the budget proposal, following Tuesday’s presentation.

In late April, county officials presented requests from department heads for 322 new full-time positions, 278 within the general fund, totaling $1.5 billion in spending.

That’s $157 million more than the current fiscal year 2o26 budget of $1.3 billion, but those requests are unlikely to be reflected in the proposed budget.

Commissioners last year added only four new positions after being asked to create nearly 300 more jobs.

“The County does not have the resources to support all the requests presented, nor is the County considering funding all the requests,” Cobb chief financial officer Buddy Tesar noted in the April summary.

Most of the additional staff requests are from the Cobb Sheriff’s Office, public safety, courts and the Cobb District Attorney’s Office.

Last year commissioners held the millage rate for the general fund and slightly lowered it for the fire fund. The Cobb Tax Assessor’s Office is projecting digest growth of 4 percent for 2026.

Two public hearings on the budget are required, and have been scheduled for July 14 at 9 a.m. and on July 28 at 7 p.m., shortly before adoption.

You can find more Cobb budget information at this link.

At the Tuesday evening meeting, commissioners will be asked to pass a resolution scheduling the November SPLOST referendum (agenda item here).

The one-percent sales tax, if approved by Cobb voters, would raise $1.15 billion for a variety of construction and maintenance projects in Cobb and municipal governments over a six-year period, starting on Jan. 1, 2028.

Of that total, nearly $800 million would be for Cobb county government projects, including a relocated East Cobb Library branch, expanding the Tim D. Lee Senior Center, building a new Cobb State Court building, spending $130 million in road repaving projects and earmarking $60 million for a new infirmary building at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.

Commissioners adopted the project list in April.

The work session begins at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in the second floor board room of the county office building at 100 Cherokee Street, Marietta.

The Tuesday regular meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the same location. You can view the full agenda by clicking here.

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

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