COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Cobb County could soon have four new cities. Voters could decide on the cityhood referendums as soon as May’s primary election after a vote passed a Senate committee Thursday.
The four cities include East Cobb, Mableton, Vinings and an area that covers most of West Cobb that would become a new city called “Lost Mountain.”
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Citizens from East Cobb spoke during a Senate hearing at the State Capitol Thursday.
One resident who lives near Lost Mountain says he’s all for creating a new city and would vote “Yes” if given the opportunity.
“Would be great to have a separate entity out here, because feels like we’re out in the middle of nowhere and no one cares about us,” Dixon Lester said.
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Supporters of the cityhood movements say the issue is more local control and better representation. Most services would still be provided by Cobb County. Only the city of East Cobb would create their own police and fire departments.
Unlike the cityhood movement in Buckhead, supporters point out the cities in Cobb aren’t already in another city, just in the county.
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Republican lawmakers pushing the cityhood referendum bills are seeking a vote by citizens in May, so there could be a vote on new mayors and city council members in November. But an opposing group called the East Cobb Alliance is urging for a vote on cityhood to get pushed back to the general election, when there will be much higher turnout.
That was echoed by Cobb County Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, who also wants more time to study the impact breaking out all four cities would have on the county and resources.
In a statement, Cupid said, “the impact analyses cannot be completed by the May primary, so I and staff will be much more active in assessing our impact internally and in educating citizens, both in city limits and outside, about the financial impact in Cobb.”
She also said she doesn’t want to thwart efforts of residents looking to determine the future of their communities.
“As chairwoman of the county, I am here to ensure some sense of transparency and to better educate Cobb Citizens, more broadly, about how cityhood can impact all here. Recognizably, time is of the essence with this likely being on the ballot in May and considering how historically, there is marginal voter turnout in May primaries,” Cupid said. “This means that very few can be determining the outcome for many with a significant impact on Cobb as we know it today.”
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