One of the late-breaking major stories in East Cobb in 2018 figures to linger well into 2019 and beyond: An exploration of a possible city of East Cobb.
It’s not the first time such an idea has been floated, but a group called the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood, Inc. has spent $36,000 for a feasibility study that currently is circulating among a hand-picked group of community leaders. 
Both the committee and the citizens group chosen to examine the study have not been fully identified, and those contacted by East Cobb News to provide further information beyond perfunctory press releases have been reluctant to discuss anything.
That includes likely next steps, and possibly the introduction of state legislation calling for a referendum that is part of a two-year process.
Joe Gavalis is the cityhood group’s president and a resident of the Atlanta Country Club area. G. Owen Brown, founder of the East Cobb-based Retail Planning Corporation, is listed as the group’s incorporator, and political consultant and TV pundit Phil Kent has been hired for public relations.
One member of the citizens advisory board, Joe O’Connor, resigned in protest, telling Gavalis that the cityhood effort needs better transparency.
“I’ve always said that if you’re hiding something, then you’ve got something to hide,” O’Connor told East Cobb News.
Other members of the citizens group told East Cobb News right before Christmas that they’ve just begun looking at the study and haven’t formed any impressions. Former Cobb commissioner Thea Powell said while she has some problems with the study’s numbers and methodologies, the idea of cityhood is worth examining.
The study, conducted by researchers at Georgia State University, concluded that East Cobb cityhood is “feasible” given the data they were given to work with.
Among the concerns is that 85 percent of the proposed city’s tax base would be from residential property, and only 15 percent is commercial property.
Another question that’s been raised is the proposed city map, which doesn’t include all of East Cobb. Its boundaries include only areas of unincorporated Cobb in commissioner Bob Ott’s District 2 that are east of I-75 and outside the Cumberland Community Improvement District.
The northern boundaries of the proposed city, in fact, identically match the northern boundaries of District 2, which was redrawn and went into effect in 2017. The population of the proposed city would be around 96,000, roughly half of what is generally considered East Cobb.
In addition, the exact reasons why the cityhood group is pursuing this effort also haven’t been fully revealed. Gavalis has said there is displeasure that District 2 property taxes provide 40 percent of Cobb property tax revenue, and that some want more of their tax money to stay here.
He did say that among the potential service priorities for a city of East Cobb would be police and fire, as well as community development (planning and zoning).
Gavalis has said that the community will be informed of the cityhood’s next steps but did not indicate when that might be.
“We want to be transparent but we are compiling answers to questions about the study and formalizing our strategy on the expertise levels that will be needed to provide insight and professional advice,” he said.
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There seems to be a misconception about that Home Rule is somehow intended to be a redundant layer of government.
As a point of reference, the current Georgia Constitution was ratified and adopted in 1983 along with certain amendments.
Article IX, Section II, details among other detail a number of specific reasons for Home Rule.
One might consider whether George Walton, as a signator of the Declaration of Independence, along with political rival Button Gwinnett would approve of the provisions that have been enacted and that are already in place if not the actual results in moving forward with the process to date.
One might also consider whether an adequate platform is in place to ensure that the legitimate concerns of the local citizenry will consistently prevail over those with interests that are contrary to its own.
So, in a specifically designed order here are the 14 key areas that are up for consideration per the Georgia State Constitution:
(1) Police and fire protection.
(2) Garbage and solid waste collection and disposal.
(3) Public health facilities and services, including hospitals, ambulance and emergency rescue services, and animal control.
(4) Street and road construction and maintenance, including curbs, sidewalks, street lights, and devices to control the flow of traffic on streets and roads constructed by counties and municipalities or any combination thereof.
(5) Parks, recreational areas, programs, and facilities.
(6) Storm water and sewage collection and disposal systems.
(7) Development, storage, treatment, purification, and distribution of water.
(8) Public housing.
(9) Public transportation.
(10) Libraries, archives, and arts and sciences programs and facilities.
(11) Terminal and dock facilities and parking facilities.
(12) Codes, including building, housing, plumbing, and electrical codes.
(13) Air quality control.
(14) The power to maintain and modify heretofore existing retirement or pension systems, including such systems heretofore created by general laws of local application
by population classification, and to continue in effect or modify other benefits heretofore provided as a part of or in addition to such retirement or pension systems and the power to create and maintain retirement or pension systems for any elected or appointed public officers and employees whose compensation is paid in whole or in part from county or municipal funds and for the beneficiaries of such officers and employees.
http://www.senate.ga.gov/Documents/gaconstitution.pdf
@Economic Analyst. Nice comment, but you don’t provide any reasons for creating another level of government. I’m glad the Baptists play well with Methodists and with our Jewish friends, but that has nothing to do with an economic argument. While the social benefits you list are positive (and I belong to one of the groups you list), they already exist today, and if they don’t, can be created by the community coming together – sans a City government.
Not to say that your use of words is not telling, basically calling on activism to support the end result you want – a city. What if they come to the opposite conclusion that a city is not warranted – are you willing to accept that conclusion? Doubtful.
Community values for decades here has been limited government, close control of schools by the parents – a main reason we have schools of excellence such as Walton – (control of which would be ceded to a larger entity if a city happens), lower taxes, and a desire for low crime. We have all those things. We are seeing more people moving into the county who are escaping high tax, high crime, burdensome regulations in other states from where they fled. Sorry to see they seem to want to continue voting the same failed ideas here and ruin the main reason Cobb was so attractive to them when choosing where to live.
I believe the idea of a new city here in East Cobb is a valid concept.
There is much potential for the future of the East Cobb community. It is important that the citizens become involve early in the process to make sure the vision aligns with community values.
I’d like to see action initiated to ensure that established grass root organizations and other interested parties become active early on to help promote the idea as well as get a productive dialogue with concerned citizens to ensure involvement of key constituencies in the planning process, e.g., churches, schools, HOA’s, Friends for East Cobb Park, Boy Scouts, PTA, Business Associations, etc.
We have a unique demographic here wherein the kids play soccer with the Methodists, baseball with the Baptists, celebrate Thanksgiving at the Synagogue and all enjoy nature and music together with the vegetarians and others at the Park.
There is a tremendous surplus of positive energy here in the land of Walton where all the kids are above average that can be effectively leveraged to develop consensus on a wide range of important quality of life issues and priorities which can be effected to make our community a shining example of the modern day “City on the Hill.”
Wendy,
Excellent update article that sums it up so far.
One way to prove the sincerity of the (non disclosed) organizers’ contention that the city is in the best interests of the citizens is to have in the articles of incorporation (or other relevant document) that any member, advisor, or financial contributor to the study and planning who brought this to a vote is barred from holding elected or appointed office for the initial 10 years from the date the city receives its charter.
It would demonstrate good faith and not personal ambitions. THAT would cause me to reconsider.
What say, guys?