Georgia Senate approves referendum for 'City of East Cobb'

ATLANTA - One of four bills to create new cities in Cobb County got the green light from the state Senate Thursday.

Senators voted 31 to 18 to approve the "City of East Cobb" bill, which would put a question on the ballot in May for residents inside the proposed city limits.

"In the last 17 years, the Georgia General Assembly has had 11 bills to allow voters in unincorporated areas to vote on cityhood. Ten of those passed. One of them failed by the voters," said state Sen. John Albers, R-Roswell. "Ultimately, here in the General Assembly, we do not create cities we only create the opportunity for the citizens in those areas to vote." 

QUESTIONS ABOUT CITYHOOD IN COBB COUNTY TIMES 4

Sen. Doc Rhett, D-Marietta, encouraged his colleagues to slow down the process, because state and county leaders have not had a chance to evaluate the potential impacts to Cobb County as a whole.

"We need time to do a study to look at the effects on the county from a financial viewpoint and the effect it will have on services," Sen. Rhett said on the Senate floor.

He also expressed concerns about how the cityhood votes would impact the Cobb County Board of Elections.

If approved by the House and signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, the City of East Cobb referendum would be on the May ballot.  Elections for mayor and city council members would then be in November and the city would exist beginning in January 2023.

"There's no reason that I can see that we need to work on this rushed schedule," said Sen. Michelle Au, D-Johns Creek, who called the timeline "arbitrary."

The other proposed cities include the City of Lost Mountain, City of Vinings and City of Mableton.

"One of the biggest things for me and for Mableton and my citizens is really just about making sure that the people have the best say," said state Rep. Erica Thomas, D-Austell, the Mableton bill's primary sponsor.

Rep. Thomas presented her bill in a subcommittee Thursday. She said it will be heard in the full House Governmental Affairs Committee next Wednesday.

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