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October 29, 2022 | News

A question of cityhood: After a century will Mableton again be a city?

Writer: Chart Riggall and Jake Busch, Marietta Daily Journal, Ga.

Published October 29, 2022
yahoo!news, from Marietta Daily Journal

A city that's been defunct for more than a century could get a second life if voters approve the Mableton cityhood referendum on the ballot Nov. 8.

Mableton Cityhood Facts

BOUNDARIES:

Douglas County line (southwest)

Flint Hill Road/Austell city limits (west)

Chattahoochee River/Smyrna city limits (east, southeast)

Hurt Road/East West Connector (north)

KEY STATS

Population: 77,505

Median income: $60,056

Poverty rate: 13.8%

White population: 37.82%

Black population: 48.29%

Asian population: 2.05%

Hispanic ethnicity: 16.98%

SERVICES PROPOSED

Planning and zoning

Code enforcement

Parks and recreation

Sanitation

Municipal court

GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE

Mableton would be governed by a mayor and six council members, with each council member being elected by the voters of their district and the mayor elected citywide. Each council member must live in the district they represent. All officials would serve four-year terms and can be elected to no more than three consecutive terms.

All data from feasibility study by University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government and the Georgia Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Office.

It'll be the fourth and final opportunity this year for Cobb residents to form a new city out of currently unincorporated areas. Three previous efforts in Lost Mountain, East Cobb, and Vinings were defeated in the May primary election.

If successful, Mableton — which previously was a city from 1912 to 1916 — would become Cobb's largest city by population with nearly 78,000 residents (the next closest would be Marietta with 60,972).

As the second week of early voting wrapped up, the MDJ caught up with voters at the South Cobb Regional Library casting ballots both for and against the measure.

Doris Billingsley told the MDJ Friday was the first time she'd learned of the referendum, but voted for it because a city of Mableton "would better serve us and the community, also having access to more resources for the citizens of Georgia ... I thought about other local areas that have been also wanting a city, so that informed my decision."

Taj Dean, who's lived in the area for 15 years, likewise cast a ballot in favor of incorporation, saying he'd known about the measure for a long time. He was hopeful cityhood would help bolster property values in the area.

Other residents who voted against the referendum, like Lisa Apolis, were miffed they hadn't been told their home would be included in the city's boundaries.

"My whole neighborhood was not told that we were included," said Apolis, who lives in the Barnes Mill neighborhood off the East-West Connector.

And Brenda Lewry worried a new city would result in higher taxes, a claim frequently disputed by advocates of the proposed city.

"If I became part of Mableton, if they become a city, then they're gonna charge taxes, and I pay enough taxes. I don't need to pay any more. I'm 68 years old. I don't need to pay any more taxes than I'm already paying," she said.

Here are some of the most common questions that have come up throughout the cityhood debate:

How would my taxes change under a new city of Mableton?

Property owners in unincorporated Cobb County pay into several funds with their millage rate, the three largest being the Cobb County School District (18.90 mills), the county general fund (8.46 mills), and the county fire fund (2.86 mills).

Unlike some cities in Cobb, Mableton has not proposed creating its own public safety services. Residents would continue to pay the fire millage to the county and continue to be covered by Cobb's police and fire departments.

As to whether taxes would increase under a new city, it's too early to say. Mableton's feasibility study found the city could support itself — running a budget surplus, in fact — without increasing property taxes. Any future tax rate changes would have to be approved by the Mableton City Council.

An MDJ review of newly-created cities around metro Atlanta found areas incorporated since 2000 have a mixed record on tax increases. Of 10 cities examined, four cities saw their millage rates increase since incorporation, three decreased, and three remained the same.

School district taxes, meanwhile, would remain unchanged by cityhood efforts.

How would a city of Mableton pay for itself?

Despite not collecting property taxes, Mableton's feasibility study estimates the new city could operate with a budget surplus of $3.2 million. It estimated annual expenses of about $11.4 million, and annual revenues of about $14.6 million.

The city's largest sources of revenue would be insurance premiums, franchise fees, motor vehicle taxes, building permits, and occupation taxes.

Cobb County, meanwhile, estimates it would lose about $10.8 million in annual revenue if a city of Mableton were formed.

Who would pick up my trash in the proposed city of Mableton?

Mableton has proposed to create its own sanitation and solid waste disposal services. The city's feasibility study anticipates those services would be paid for by a fee separate from property taxes. The city could either create its own sanitation department or contract the service out to private haulers.

Who decides if a new city is formed?

The Mableton cityhood bill was approved by the Georgia General Assembly and signed into law by the governor earlier this year. A bill is introduced in the first year of the two-year legislative cycle (in this case, 2021), and then voted on in the second. In the meantime, the city's proponents established a nonprofit group to promote cityhood and obtained a feasibility study from the University of Georgia.

The bills, however, do not create the new city, but merely give voters an opportunity to decide in a referendum if they want to incorporate or not. Only registered voters living within the proposed city limits can vote in the referendum. If a majority vote 'yes,' the new city is created.

Who would make zoning and land use decisions in the city of Mableton?

Mableton has included planning and zoning as a city service in its proposal. Control over land use decisions would shift from county to city government.

If a new city is formed, what happens to county parks inside its limits?

Under state law, cities which include parks and recreation as a service may elect to purchase any and all county-owned parkland inside their limits for a price of $100 per acre. The decision of which parks the city will purchase is ultimately up to city leadership. Any parks not purchased would remain under ownership and management of Cobb County.

What impact would cityhood have on Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) projects?

Projects under the county's current six-year SPLOST cycle, which began earlier this year, are required by law to be completed. The county's current agreement with the cities gives each a share of SPLOST revenues based on their population, which would continue through the current cycle. A new city of Mableton would not directly receive any SPLOST revenues from the county until the current cycle is completed at the end of 2027. For future SPLOST cycles, the county and the new cities would have to negotiate their share of the revenues.

Who owns the roads in a new city?

State law requires any new city formed to take over "ownership, control, care, and maintenance" of any county roads within its limits, unless the county and city agree otherwise. A decision on how to continue road maintenance would be up to the City Council.

Would a new city have its own court?

As with Cobb's existing cities, Mableton would create its own municipal court to adjudicate violations of city ordinances, parking tickets, and the like. Jail services, when necessary, would likely be contracted with the Cobb sheriff.

What impact would cityhood have on the Cobb County School District (CCSD)?

Cityhood would not affect Cobb schools. Georgia law prohibits the creation of any new school districts. Residents in unincorporated Cobb who are paying property taxes to CCSD would continue to do so, and the Mableton cityhood effort would not impact school attendance zones.

What happens next if a cityhood referendum passes?

The Mableton cityhood bill indicates elections for the City Council and mayor would be held on the first possible special election date of 2023. State law allows for a two-year period when the city may phase in their services and get their government up and running.

Meantime, the governor can appoint a five-member body to serve as representatives of the city until the elected officials are seated. Members of that body are not permitted to run for a position in city government during its first election.

What happens if a cityhood referendum fails?

Should a cityhood referendum fail to pass, the process begins anew. A new bill would be required to be introduced and the two-year process is repeated. A city that fails to pass in 2022 could not be voted on again until, at the earliest, 2024.