Braves Stadium Bond Validation Going to State Supreme Court

The Georgia Supreme Court will decide whether a Cobb County Superior Court judge’s decision to validate the issuance of hundreds of millions of dollars of bonds to pay for the Atlanta Braves’ new stadium was done constitutionally.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, an attorney and a Cobb County resident are appealing Judge Robert Leonard’s July decision to validate the issuance of $397 million in bonds to pay for the construction of the Smyrna area stadium because they argue local governments cannot assume such debt without putting the proposal to the voters in a referendum.

Cobb County entered into an intergovernmental contract between itself and the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority to issue the bonds, but the latter entity will have no hand in repaying the debt or building or operating the stadium.

A Braves spokesman has acknowledged the appeal, but said that they have “full confidence” that the validation will be upheld on appeal.