Cobb Collaborative: Cityhood Series, Post 1

by Kaitlyn Ball, Cobb Collaborative Vote Your Voice Coordinator

To kick off our cityhood series – we answer the question of what is a cityhood movement and why is it happening to four areas in Cobb County?

East Cobb, Lost Mountain, Mableton, and Vinings are all proposing the idea of shifting their communities into cities. This started when a small group of community members raised the idea to incorporate as a municipality in order to have more local control over different areas within the community, such as tax dollar spending, zoning, and parks and recreation. In addition to this, East Cobb would provide its own public safety services that include fire and police services. 

Residents of East Cobb, Lost Mountain, and Vinings will vote in May, and Mableton will likely vote in November on whether or not they want to become an incorporated city. Only voters in the proposed jurisdiction vote on the question. Each cityhood movement is a little different, but if each of these cityhoods pass, that means 1/4 of Cobb County residents will become part of a new city.

New cityhoods mean new governing bodies. If the three cityhood referenda were to pass in May, there would be interim appointed officials making decisions and planning until elected officials are voted into office in November. These elected officials will decide on the issues mentioned above for the residents in their city.  

There are pros and cons to each cityhood movement. Some residents are excited about more local control of land use, while some fear tax increases and uncertainty without the aid of Cobb County. With local control, a new city would have to provide funding for the areas of service it will provide to its residents.

There’s a lot to unpack with the cityhood movements. Stay tuned for more details on specific cityhood referendum, potential tax implications, and how the cityhood movements will directly impact you!