Welcome

After three Public Hearings, Cobb County passed its $1.3B budget for the first year of this biennial budget cycle. It also voted to keep the millage rate at 8.46, which has remained unchanged since 2018.

What is a Public Hearing? What is biennial? What in the world is a millage rate? And how does any of this impact me? We’ll get into it below in this edition’s The Big Story.

In the meantime, don’t miss the What’s Happening in The District below—Commissioner Richardson is leading an excellent capstone course for high school and college students. The deadline is July 31st, so read through the details now to see how this is a not-to-miss opportunity for you or your student.

What’s Happening in the District 

2024 Fall Capstone Internship & Scholarship Program

Cobb County Commissioner Richardson’s capstone program is back! This comprehensive and integrative learning experience will help high school and college students gain an unmatched experience, impact their community, and earn potential credits toward graduation.

Application deadline is July 31st. The link to apply is below.

Here are the details…

Cobb County District 2 Commissioner Jerica Richardson would like to invite your students to apply for her 2024 Fall Capstone Project Internship. Commissioner Richardson's Capstone Internship & Scholarship Program is a fantastic opportunity for those seeking to make a real and immediate impact on the community. These efforts are critical to the Cobb community, and this opportunity provides real-world experience and the development of high-demand skills. 

There are 11 different Capstone Projects available this year! Topics include affordable housing, the environment, community development, tax payer's transparency, and more! Descriptions of the projects can be found here: d2cobb.com/2024-fall-capstone

The requirements for this year’s applicants are as follows:
- Age: Ages 16 +
- Education/Work Experience: None
- Duration: August 1 (start) - December 1  (end)
- Location: Virtual with an in-person showcase 
- Completion Requirements: Finish project objectives, showcase event presentation

Apply by July 31, 2024 

The Big Story 

This week’s Board of Commissioners (BOC) meeting was a long one—and although the room was packed initially, only a few of us stayed until it ended just before midnight. It was the last chance for Cobb’s citizens to provide input to the board about the votes for the budget and millage rate. I gave away the punchline in the Welcome, so I want to walk through what happened and what it means for you.

What is a Public Hearing?

Each Regular BOC meeting allows for Public Comment—three minutes given to 20 speakers who can talk about whatever is on their minds. Public Hearings only occur for specific proposed changes in the county, such as zoning, ordinance, transportation, and budget. Public Hearings allow unlimited speakers to talk about this defined topic for three minutes.

Last night, there was a Public Hearing on the millage rate and a separate Public Hearing on the budget. This was the last of three hearings made available for each item (the requirement is two).

The millage rate hearing was required because, although the rate was proposed to remain the same, the amount of money Cobb collected increased. The State of Georgia calls this a tax increase and mandates the Public Hearing process.

What is a millage rate?

A millage rate is the tax rate used to calculate local property taxes. It is expressed in mills, where one mill equals one-tenth of one percent (0.1% or 0.001). The millage rate represents the amount per $1,000 of assessed property value owed in property taxes. (you may find it mildly interesting that the word “millage” derives from the Latin word “mille,” which means thousand)

In Cobb, the increase in collected taxes, as described above, comes from the property value assessments. The State of Georgia requires counties to assess property values based on the sales of comparable homes in the area within the tax year. The county cannot change these requirements, nor can it influence the price of home sales included in these assessments.

What is Homestead Exemption?

This is essential to know if you are a homeowner in Cobb. For the County General Fund line item on your tax bill, filing for Homestead Exemption on your primary residence will allow you to lock in the value of your home at the time of filing. This will be the value to assess the taxes you pay into the County General Fund (the fund that pays for most of Cobb’s operations).

There are several homestead exemptions in Cobb - visit their site for the complete list and directions to apply.

What is biennial?

A biennial budget is a financial plan that covers two fiscal years instead of the typical annual budget that covers just one fiscal year. This budgeting process involves planning, forecasting, and allocating resources over two years. Some governments adopt biennial budgets to improve long-term planning, decrease the frequency of budgeting processes, and provide greater stability and predictability in financial planning.

How does this all impact me?

That $456 my wife and I pay every year into the Cobb General Fund is our contribution to Cobb’s operations. This includes the Police, the Sheriff’s Office, the Courts, DOT, Zoning, Code Enforcement, the IT department, Libraries, Senior Services, Elections, and much more. You can find more details on Cobb’s budget site.

BOC Meeting Recap 

The Cobb County Board of Commissioners held its regular meeting on July 23 at 7:00 p.m. The meeting began with presentations recognizing Sharp Media LLC and Sweets, LLC as Entrepreneurship and Innovation Grant recipients. The Board then conducted the third public hearing on the proposed 2024 property tax increase and the FY25 Proposed Budget. They adopted resolutions setting the 2024 millage rates for various county funds, resulting in the adoption of the FY25 Budget.

There was a third public hearing for a Cobb DOT project to consider allocating funds exceeding $100,000 for engineering design services for several local maintenance and improvement grant program projects. The public gave no comments.

The consent agenda included authorizations for several grant applications, work orders for stormwater management, and agreements for various public safety and infrastructure projects.

The regular agenda addressed crucial transportation projects, including agreements for the Cumberland Transit Alternatives Study and utility relocations on James Road. Contracts for drainage system repairs and supplemental agreements for water relocations were approved. The Board also ratified emergency repairs at the Civic Center and improvements to aquatic centers. Finally, they authorized a settlement for the Michael Graham v. Francisco Fajardo case, ensuring all necessary legal and budgetary actions were completed before adjourning the meeting.

Important Dates

August 3rd: Board of Elections and Registration Special Called Meeting & Retreat

August 12th: Board of Elections and Registration Meeting

August 13th: Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting

August 20th: Board of Commissioners Zoning Hearing