Cobb County Budget Town Halls: Times And Locations

MARIETTA, GA — Cobb County's Board of Commissioners are holding a series of town hall meetings to discuss a proposed budget that would raise property taxes to help keep libraries, parks, senior centers and other county services open.

County staff have put together a detailed look at "factors and decisions that led to the challenging conditions facing Cobb's FY19 budget," according to the county. Residents may view the document online by clicking here.

The presentation at the town halls also will include a video to help explain property tax bills and show how to calculate how different millage rates would impact the county budget.

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On Friday, commission Chairman Mike Boyce presented a $453 million budget that would include a 1.7 million property tax increase over the 2018 budget year. It must still be approved by the entire board. A vote is expected on July 25.

He presented the plan, with its tax increase, as the best response to hard financial times for the county.

"The real question is what kind of county do we want to have going forward," Boyce said on his weekly CobbTV show. "Do we want to have a county with a high quality of life serviced by the best staff in Georgia? Or do we want to live in a mediocre county staffed and funded by a sub-par budget?"

County officials have said services likely would have to be cut without the tax increase.

Town halls were held Monday and Tuesday evenings. The remaining town halls are as follows:

• 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 20 Senior Wellness Center
• 7 p.m., Monday, June 25 Freeman Poole Senior Center
• 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 27 West Cobb Senior Center
• 7 p.m., Thursday, June 28 South Cobb Community Center
• 7 p.m., Monday, July 9 Sewell Mill Library

The Board of Commissioners will also hold three public hearings on the county millage and budget. They will be held at 9 a.m., Tuesday, July 10, 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 17, and 7 p.m., Wednesday, July 25. All three hearings will be held in the Board of Commissioners room on the second floor of 100 Cherokee St., Marietta.

The July 10 and 25 hearings will be held as part of the board's regular monthly meetings.

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