Top East Cobb stories for 2019: Cityhood proposal unveiled, then stalls

After finally going public with their plans in early 2019, leaders of the East Cobb cityhood initiative announced in December they would not be pursuing legislation in 2020 that would call for a referendum.

The Committee for Cityhood in East Cobb, Inc. held or appeared at a few town hall meetings in the spring, but then didn’t come back to the public for several months, after a cityhood bill had been introduced in the Georgia legislature and as opposition grew to include a grassroots citizens’ organization.

Even after a group of financial experts reaffirmed the financial viability of the proposed city (with one dissenting view), the cityhood group faced hostile response from opponents who suspected developers’ interests behind the push.

They also contended that tax rates would go up with a new city that would add an unwanted extra layer of government.

That was certainly the sentiment at a town hall meeting at Wheeler High School in November, and at a debate the following day before the East Cobb Business Association.

East Cobb News Cityhood Coverage

• Editor’s Note: Cityhood an idea worth considering
• East Cobb cityhood effort delayed until 2021
• Cityhood opponents unveil ‘best estimate’ of revised map
• Former cityhood financial review member explains resignation
• Editor’s Note: A golden goose, and boiling frogs
• Pro- and anti-cityhood forces square off in debate
• Proposed East Cobb city map expands to include Pope, Lassiter districts
• Visit the East Cobb News Cityhood resource page

By then, other local elected officials, including those serving on the Cobb Board of Commissioners and legislators, said they hadn’t been kept up to date by cityhood leaders, including seeing a revised map of the proposed city.

It was only after the cityhood legislative effort was delayed to 2021 that the cityhood group acknowledged that only an outline of a new map had been produced, and not any revised details.

In explaining the decision to hold off on legislation in the new year, cityhood leader David Birdwell said that “we want to take the time to do this right” and that better efforts to communicate and engage with the community are needed.

“We live in a special place and we’re all passionate about doing the right things for our neighborhoods. Many members of this committee—and all of the members of the Independent Finance Group—started out as skeptics of cityhood. For all of us, an objective look at the facts led to only one conclusion: Cityhood would result in an overwhelming net positive for the people of East Cobb.”

The anti-cityhood East Cobb Alliance said it will continue to maintain opposition and considers the legislation sponsored by State Rep. Matt Dollar of East Cobb active when the General Assembly session begins in January.

After debating Birdwell at the ECBA event, Alliance leader Mindy Seger acknowledged that “there’s kind of been a political awakening” in East Cobb over the cityhood issue.

“It’s gotten people engaged,” Seger said, “and that’s a good thing.”

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