In a surprise move The Committee for Cityhood in East Cobb announced yesterday it wouldn’t push cityhood legislation that Rep. Matt Dollar, R-Marietta, intended to introduce next year. It said such enabling legislation would wait until the 2021 General Assembly. A media release also said the group will spend 2020 further discussing the benefits of incorporation with east Cobbers and finalizing the boundaries of the proposed city.
Critics say that after East Cobb organizer Joe Gavalis was eased out as the leader of the movement last spring, the new Committee co-chairs David Birdwell and Rob Eble were slow to hold town meetings and engage in an effective communications campaign. Birdwell, however, remains confident of the future:
“Creating a new city is a clear win for the residents of East Cobb,” Birdwell says. “It would allow for more police in our neighborhoods and faster response times, local control of zoning so that we can protect our neighborhoods and schools, and more resources to invest in our community – all while still providing a property tax cut.”
Feasibility studies conducted by Georgia State University and an independent group of finance professionals from East Cobb concluded a city would be able to significantly expand services at a lower cost than what residents pay in county taxes today.
Rep. John Carson, R-Marietta, though, said his constituents have not been swayed and that he has heard opposition from them “loud and clear.” He thought it best that the cityhood campaign be shelved for now.
“We are committed to continuing this process,” Birdwell maintains. “We want to take the time to do it right because we know that the more educated voters are on this issue, the more they will support it. We look forward to creating the city of East Cobb in 2021 with the full force of the community behind us.”
Any new city— and there have been about a dozen created since 2005– requires passage of legislation by the Georgia General Assembly and approval of the governor. The issue then goes to the voters inside the proposed city limits.
