Issues over finances and development within a proposed City of East Cobb dominated a second debate on Wednessday, just as they did in a previous forum last month.
With less than three weeks before a Cityhood referendum on May 24, representatives of the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood and the East Cobb Alliance, which opposes cityhood, made familiar points—and accusations—that have marked their respective campaigns.
Sponsored by the Rotary Club of East Cobb, the event at Pope High School was the final time the groups will be appearing together. (You can watch a replay of the town hall, which lasts nearly an hour and a half, by clicking here.)
Like the previous debate, the East Cobb Alliance questioned the figures in a financial feasibility study, saying many startup costs are not included.
“Estimates, estimates, estimates,” Alliance president Mindy Seger said in response to the Cityhood group’s explanation that a study is not a budget, and that some numbers are estimates.
“Feasibility does not mean sustainability.”
Cityhood committee spokeswoman Cindy Cooperman said that some financials would be worked out during negotiations with Cobb County through intergovernmental agreements.
Bob Lax of the Alliance pointed to the proposed East Cobb millage rate of 2.86 mills—the current levy for the county fire fund—as the major source of revenues.
A comparable city of Smyrna, with a population of 60,000, has a property tax rate of 8.99 mills.
Pro-Cityhood forces stressed the need for local control with leadership on the Cobb Board of Commissioners—specifically Chairwoman Lisa Cupid—advocating “affordable housing near you” that they claim would all but guarantee higher density.
Her proposed 30-year transit tax was put on hold, Cityhood committee member Scott Sweeney said, due in large part to the mayors of Cobb’s six cities.
Cityhood chairman Craig Chapin noted the lack of greenspace in the proposed City of East Cobb—covering around 25 square miles centered along the Johnson Ferry Road corridor, and said how redevelopment is handled will be critical.
“Who are the right persons to make those decisions?” he said.
The East Cobb Alliance has questioned members of the Cityhood committee with real estate interests and said high-density zoning would be necessary to fund what they claim will be higher expenses than stated in the feasibility study.
“You keep hearing developers, developers, developers,” Sweeney said. “I know that my colleagues and everyone else on the committee favors low density. “But it’s up to the elected officials to make those determinations, the people that you elect.
“The anti-cityhood people are suggesting that that the people you elect are already corrupt. Think about that for a moment. Your choice is to elect people who do not favor high density.”
Lax said the legislation calling for the East Cobb referendum could have included a charter specifically limiting development density, “but you didn’t do that.”
The East Cobb Alliance also continued questioning the need for East Cobb to provide police, fire and 911 services, the only of the proposed four Cobb cities to include public safety.
“How do you improve something that is the best it can be?” Seger said, referring in particular to Cobb’s highly-rated fire and 911 agencies.
Questions also covered public safety response times, parks and recreation services and how a new City of East Cobb would be in a two-year transition period before going fully operational.
“Cityhood is a big step,” Lax said, urging citizens to ask pointed questions before voting in the referendum. “It affects all of us. We can’t undo this.”
Chapin referenced Alliance members who’ve “done a brilliant job on social media . . . with negative messages” about what would happen if a city is created.
“If your vision for East Cobb is not urbanization, then you better vote yes,” Chapin said.
The Committee for East Cobb Cityhood is having a town hall at Olde Town Athletic Club (4950 Olde Towne Parkway) on Monday, from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.
That’s where an April town hall was held, with questions pre-selected and asked by a moderator.
Attendance is limited to citizens living within the proposed City of East Cobb with a capacity of 300 people. The event will be recorded for replay viewing.
Registration is required and can be done by clicking here. You will have to provide a home address to confirm that you live in the proposed boundaries.
Related:
- East Cobb Cityhood group to hold second town hall
- Glitch leaves off East Cobb Cityhood referendum on some ballots
- Cobb judge orders East Cobb Cityhood referendum to proceed
- At Cityhood debate, citizens asked to keep an open mind
- East Cobb News Cityhood information page
Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Scott, I think you confused Smyrna Ga with Smyrna Tennessee. For example wastewater treatment is handled by Cobb as are many of the items you listed. Were you ignorantly of, or worse purposeful listing services that weren’t true?
The pro city folks misrepresented what Cupid said about the need for affordable housing, misrepresented the county’s unified zoning document as a uniform zoning plan, falsely claimed that Cobb was hiring 650 new people (none were approved), and suggests they can do a better job with fire and police with a fourth of the money needed. Add that to their stated 2,200 dollar utility fee increase over ten years, their plan to totally redevelop East Cobb, the missing budget study, the leadership of this city by real estate developers, the rush to a vote, and you know why so many people are opposed.
During a recent East Cobb Business Association public forum, East Cobb Alliance spokesperson Bob Lax cited Smyrna’s higher revenues and higher expenses as reasons why the Georgia State University PhD led feasibility study for the City of East Cobb is flawed. He is wrong. Here’s why…
A feasibility study compares proposed, new city service revenues and expenditures for comparable services within similar cities. It is not a city-to-city comparison because cities often offer far different services.
In his Smyrna/East Cobb city comparison, Bob Lax omitted important facts while feebly attempting to discredit the Georgia State University prepared feasibility study for Georgia General Assembly regarding the proposed city of East Cobb. Either ignorantly of, or worse by purposeful omission, he failed to cite that the following city services are offered in Smyrna and not by the proposed city of East Cobb:
1. Solid waste management
2. Water supply or distribution or both
3. Wastewater treatment
4. Stormwater collection and disposal
5. Electric or gas utility service
6. Libraries (1)
7. Facilities: Maintenance of 19 city buildings, including:
a. Aline Wolfe Adult Recreation Center
b. Brawner Hall
c. Reed-House
d. Taylor-Brawner House
e. Aquatics (City Pool & Therapy Pool)
While they are both fruits, an apple and orange comparison usually stops there. We can agree they are fruits though they are as vastly different as the service costs and revenues for Smyrna and the proposed City of East Cobb.