Welcome

Welcome to all new and returning subscribers! There has been an exciting increase in readers, and I appreciate all the feedback. If you find this newsletter useful, please share it with others who may also find it relevant. You can subscribe and see all past editions here. There’s a lot happening in Cobb, and information sharing is vital.

Last Tuesday’s Primary Runoff Election for Cobb’s District 2 Commissioner resulted in a win for Jaha Howard. A quick dive into the numbers of this election: District 2 has a population of ~193,000, of which 125,017 are registered voters. The May Primary election for this race saw 11,584 voters cast a ballot, and 2,395 people returned to vote in the June runoff. Our collective effort to vote in local elections is critical - equally as important is the need to encourage our friends, family, and neighbors to do the same. Lastly, the future state of this election is still uncertain, with the Adams v Cobb Board of Elections lawsuit remaining active. I’ll share more details below in this edition’s The Big Story.

Important work remains to be done, and the good news is that District 2 remains represented by Commissioner Jerica Richardson, with her term ending in six months. As I mentioned last week, I recently returned to the Commissioner’s Community Cabinet and proudly accepted the role of Cabinet Lead. The Cabinet remains focused on being a voice for all important stakeholders and issues in the district: veterans, housing, infrastructure, seniors, health - and many more. To engage the Cabinet, visit D2Cobb.com.

What’s Happening in the District 

July 4th

There are several events happening throughout the county, but the City of Marietta’s 4th in the Park is the ultimate celebration that kicks off with a parade at 10am. The day is packed with a family-friendly arts and crafts festival, fantastic live music following the Bell Ringing Ceremony at 2pm, and a fireworks display after sunset.

The Big Story 

The winner of this month’s news cycle is activism. With the announcement of the shelving of the Cobb County School District’s $50M Event Center, as well as the indefinite tabling of the Cobb County Water System’s Stormwater fee, it’s not hard to miss how community organizing made an impact.

BOC Meeting Recap 

I was back in attendance for Tuesday’s 7pm Board of Commissioners meeting. It was one of the quickest meetings I’ve attended, but still important nonetheless. The meeting began with a special presentation where Isaiah Hubert received a certificate of achievement for being selected as a Gates Scholarship recipient.

Following this and the first round of public comments, the consent agenda containing various topics across multiple departments, including the Juvenile Court, Water System, and Transportation, was approved. Key agenda items included grant awards to support juvenile court operations, various infrastructure projects, and multiple resolutions related to transit system enhancements. The board approved resolutions for several grant applications to improve the county's mobility, safety, and transportation infrastructure. The Public Services Agency also received approvals for grants to support sustainability initiatives and senior services, while the Support Services Agency secured a new contract for IT services.

The regular agenda focused on significant contracts and projects, particularly transportation and public services. The board approved contracts for road and pedestrian improvements and the construction of a new park maintenance building and an emergency generator system for the Medical Examiner Laboratory Facility. Additionally, approvals were granted for new office furniture and shelving for the Gritters Library, part of the 2016 SPLOST project. The meeting concluded with the reappointment of Donna Rowe to the Development Authority of Cobb County and commissioners' public addresses.

Important Dates

July 2nd: Planning Commission Zoning Hearing

July 8th: Board of Elections & Registration Meeting

July 9th: Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting

July 16th: Board of Commissioners Zoning Hearing