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Residents In South Cobb Gather To Discuss Forming New City
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Another cityhood movement is making its way through Cobb County. Residents in the southern part of Cobb held a town hall Monday night with State Representative Erica Thomas to discuss their efforts.
LeRoy Hutchins, an organizer with the South Cobb Alliance, said it comes down to more local control and representation.
"Code enforcement, community development, economic development,” Hutchins said when listing the Alliance’s priorities. “We just haven't received our boom yet."
He said areas in the eastern part of the county have benefited from SunTrust Park, the Battery, and other developments.
The boundaries for the proposed South Cobb city would include Mableton, unincorporated Austell, and the Six Flags Over Georgia corridor. The amusement park would be a large contributor to the proposed city's tax base.
Including Six Flags has raised some concern for Bridget Reynolds who lives in the Mableton area.
"If we gather that area will we lose the resources we gained from Six Flags by having to now as a city police that area,” Reynolds expressed at the town hall.
But Hutchins said policing isn’t a service the city would have to take on right away. Instead it would focus on other issues like parks and recreation and better solid waste management.
According to a survey the Alliance has done of some thousand potential residents, law enforcement ranked six out of six in top services desired.
Surveys, town halls, and information sessions don’t get residents a city. It's a two year process that requires approval from the General Assembly.
In the last few years the cities of Stonecrest, South Fulton and Eagle’s Landing have all made it successfully to the ballot box for residents to vote on.
Erica Thomas, a state representative for South Cobb, said there is a bit of fatigue at the State Capitol with new cityhood movements.
"I had to really look at my district and think, wait a minute I hate all these new cities coming but would that benefit my people,” Thomas said about supporting this idea. “Is this what they want?"
Regardless of what they want, a feasibility study must first be conducted to see if the city is sustainable.
Hutchins said it'll cost $27,000. Right now, they have about 10 percent of that.
He also informed citizens at the town hall that there were matching commitments from business but only after they raised the money.
The study must be done before this year’s legislative session ends in March if residents hope to have a say in 2020. If not, the earliest they would be able to vote is 2022.
South Cobb residents aren't the only ones in the county who want their own city. The Committee for Cityhood in East Cobb has already completed its study, which shows a new city would be feasible.
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