Welcome

How is it that I’ve driven through clouds of flurries and clouds of pollen all in the same week of March? Georgia weather never fails to keep us on our toes. And neither do Georgia elections. Today, we’ll get into some voting location changes worth noting before we get to the upcoming Primary. Your help is needed.

This edition will also shine a light on Cobb County’s Sweetwater Mission, share an opportunity this weekend to help Marietta Tree Keepers, and, as always, a recap of the latest Board of Commissioners meeting. Thank you all for continuing to subscribe and support this newsletter!

What’s Happening in Cobb 

Get Outside!

Looking to get outside and give back this weekend? On Saturday, March 21, Marietta Tree Keepers is hosting a volunteer morning from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., with sign-in and refreshments starting at 8:30 a.m. Volunteers will meet at the City of Marietta Maintenance Building, 434 Sessions Street, near Lewis Park, before heading out with tree leaders to plant and maintain trees at locations around the city.

This event welcomes families and aims to provide an approachable experience. All ages can participate, and youth join in when accompanied by an adult for transportation. Marietta Tree Keepers supplies tools, gloves, and refreshments, and simply asks participants to dress for the weather. The organization has planted more than 5,500 trees across the city, giving this event a hands-on service opportunity with local impact.

Marietta Tree Keepers is a longtime local nonprofit that works with the City of Marietta to plant, preserve, and protect trees across the city while also educating residents about why urban tree cover matters. The group says its mission is to improve Marietta’s livability and quality of life through tree planting, companion planting, education, and environmentally sound planning. It was founded in 2002 and has promoted tree stewardship in the community for more than two decades, planting thousands of trees along public rights-of-way, parks, and schools.

For more details, visit the official Marietta Tree Keepers page.

Community Spotlight 

Cobb’s Sweetwater Mission

Sweetwater Mission has been serving families in Cobb County since 1968. The organization focuses on helping people through some of life’s hardest moments. Based in Austell, it works to prevent hunger and homelessness while helping individuals and families regain stability. In a county where many households are stretched by rising costs, that support can mean the difference between a temporary setback and a much deeper crisis.

Its work goes well beyond emergency assistance. Sweetwater Mission operates a client-choice food pantry and provides family support services. It also offers job-readiness, life skills, and educational programs through its Transformation Center. The goal is not only to meet immediate needs but also to help people build a stronger path forward.

The organization also brings services closer to the communities that need them. Along with its Austell campus, Sweetwater Mission runs food distribution efforts. These include its Express Food Line and Meals on a Mission, with regular outreach in places like Mableton. That kind of neighborhood-based support matters because it makes help more accessible for families already facing difficult circumstances.

For readers who want to get involved, the Sweetwater Mission website is the best place to start. There, you can learn more about services, sign up to volunteer, or make a donation. Cobb County depends on strong local nonprofits to fill real needs. Sweetwater Mission continues to be one of the organizations doing that work every day.

The Big Story 

One of Cobb’s most important election stories isn’t about candidates or campaign signs, but about polling locations. Cobb County Elections & Registration has launched a public map showing where more polling sites are needed and is asking the public to help identify potential primary and backup sites. Introduced at the February 10 Board of Elections & Registration meeting, the purpose is to ensure Cobb’s half-million registered voters have accessible, reliable places to vote.

The county’s new tool is user-friendly. On Cobb’s Suggest a Polling Location page, residents can open an interactive map to see where needs exist. Areas in red mean Urgent Election Location Needed; yellow means Backup Location Needed. There are multiple locations throughout the county. Specific to District 3, the map highlights urgent areas like Bells Ferry 02, Eastside 02, Hightower 01, Palmer 01, Roswell 01, and Willeo 01. Polling places must be in the right communities, accessible to voters, and workable on Election Day.

Cobb is specifically asking churches, schools, community organizations, and other facilities to step forward with suggestions. The county’s Site Survey Team reviews proposed locations for accessibility, parking, availability, storage, facility access, and a reliable point of contact. In other words, this is not only about finding an empty building. It is about finding places that can actually support secure, orderly, convenient voting. The county has also made clear that community input matters here, as local residents often know about viable sites that government staff might not otherwise identify.

If you know of a church, school, civic building, or community space that could serve as a polling place, take action now. Visit Cobb County’s Suggest a Polling Location page, use the map to identify a need, and submit your suggestion through the Polling Location Suggestion Form. For questions, contact Cobb Elections & Registration at 770-528-2581 or [email protected]. Remember, election access depends on having trusted polling places in every neighborhood, and your input matters.

BOC Meeting Recap 

At the March 10th meeting of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, the session opened with a series of recognitions that highlighted both community impact and county operations. Commissioners proclaimed March as Women’s History Month and Procurement Month, acknowledging the contributions of women and the importance of effective public purchasing. The Cobb County Management Team also presented the 2025 Silver Eagle Award, recognizing excellence in county service. Following these presentations, the Board moved to public comment and then to a full consent agenda that addressed ongoing programs, infrastructure needs, and administrative functions across departments.

Through the consent agenda, the Board advanced a range of operational priorities. Juvenile Court pursued additional grant funding to support youth programs, while the Water System approved several stormwater work orders and accepted maintenance responsibility for existing infrastructure. The county updated its list of prequalified engineering firms to support future transportation projects, and the Library System secured both funding and recognition for literacy initiatives. Support Services moved forward with technology upgrades, facility renovations, and lease agreements, including work tied to the Highland Rivers Behavioral Health Crisis Center. Public safety operations were adjusted through a reorganization of maintenance staff, and Finance adopted the necessary budget amendments to support these activities.

The regular agenda focused heavily on long-term planning, infrastructure, and leadership decisions. Commissioners recommended the appointment of a new County Attorney and approved several transportation projects, including pedestrian improvements, signal upgrades, and continued work on the Noonday Creek Trail Extension. Updates to SPLOST-funded transportation programs were also approved, along with contracts to modernize the county’s Transportation Management Center. Parks investments included the replacement of a water play structure and synthetic turf upgrades at major facilities, while Facilities Management advanced renovations at the State Court Building and addressed drainage issues at Police Headquarters. The meeting concluded with public comment and commissioner remarks, rounding out a session focused on capital improvements and operational continuity.