Read Chairman Lee's most recent e-newsletter

• Cobb County 2013 Strategic Plan


Upcoming town hall meetings

• 7 - 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 11 – District 3
  Mountain View Community Center, 3400 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta, 30066. 770-509-2746

• 7 - 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 13 – District 4 **new location**
  Pebblebrook High School - Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts,  991, Old Alabama Road, Mableton GA 30126

• 7 - 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 10 **revised date**
  Cobb County Government, 100 Cherokee St. – 2nd floor BOC meeting room. 770-528-2480

For more information, please call 770-528-3305.


Share your thoughts about town hall scheduling
Cobb County Chairman Tim Lee is looking for your input regarding town hall meetings, which are typically held on weeknights. If you are interested in attending town hall meetings on Saturdays, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . These meetings help provide the public with the latest information and help commissioners get feedback directly from their constituents. Your responses will help determine the future scheduling of such meetings.


Senior Information Fair
10 a.m.-2 p.m., May 22
Cobb County Civic Center, Marietta.
Parking and admission is free.
For more information, call 770-528-1445 or 770-528-5381.


Transit customer service office relocated
The Cobb Community Transit customer service office has moved to the new CCT Paratransit facility located at 431 Commerce Park Drive. The new office is next door to the previous location. All ticket sales and services are now located in the new facility.  If you have any questions, please call 770-427-4444.

Cobb Community Garden Council now forming
The Cobb County Cooperative Extension Service is working with the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County to form a council of area community gardens. The main purpose of the group is communication, sharing ideas and information.  The council will become active in September and will hold quarterly meetings. Any community garden in Cobb County (including gardens in Cobb’s cities) is encouraged to participate  A community garden can be a garden of individual garden plots in a common area or a group gardening together. If you wish to participate in the Cobb Community Garden Council please have the garden coordinator email Master Gardener Debbie Abernathy, council chair at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with your garden contact person’s name, garden name and location and contact email address.


Commissioners, elected officials help with Meals on Wheels
Chairman Tim Lee, the Cobb County commissioners and other local leaders helped volunteers deliver meals to the homebound and elderly May 7 as part of Meals on Wheels Day in the county. Community leaders were able to raise awareness of the plight of senior hunger and increase community support for the Meals on Wheels Program. Cobb Senior Services has provided hot, nutritious meals to seniors throughout Cobb County since 1972. A team of dedicated volunteers deliver meals to approximately 200 seniors Monday through Friday and the need for services continues to grow. Volunteers are always needed and any interested persons can contact Cobb Senior Services at 770-528-1445.
For information on how to receive Meals on Wheels, please call 770-528-5364.


Emergency Medical Service awards come to Cobb
Cobb Fire and Emergency Services staff prides itself on excellence and Emergency Medical Services Coordinator Larry Causby (center) was recently honored as the Georgia EMS Educator of the Year. The award was presented at the 2013 Georgia Emergency Medical Services awards banquet in Forsyth. Causby earned the award by contributing significantly to EMS education at the community, regional and state level.

According to the award's qualifications, the winner must "be someone who not only does the job, but far exceeds the expectations of the employer and the community. The individual is an example of a true role model and community hero." Causby has more than 22 years of experience as a paramedic, training officer and supervisor.

In addition, Cobb County ambulance provider MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service was awarded the 2013 Emergency Medical Service of the Year. The Georgia Association of Emergency Medical Services recognized the company’s consistent commitment to -- and ongoing support of -- the communities it serves through volunteerism as well as philanthropic support. MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service previously donated to the ongoing improvement of the Cobb County Safety Village.






SPLOST briefing available to public
This week commissioners were briefed on the county's 2011 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax program. Representatives from Cobb Department Of Transportation, public safety, property management and parks updated the board on projects that have been completed, are underway and planned during the four year program. The city of Marietta also shared the status of its projects. Supporting materials can be read here and the video of the presentation can be viewed here.


County's Comprehensive Transportation Plan - 2030 CTP Update
Cobb County and the cities of Acworth, Austell, Kennesaw, Marietta, Powder Springs and Smyrna have launched the five-year Cobb County 2030 Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) update, which will include strategies and recommendations through the year 2040.  The CTP is required to remain competitive for Federal implementation funds, as well as to address growth and other changes that have occurred since completion of the 2030 CTP in 2008.
The 2030 CTP Update will assist the County and its cities in determining countywide goals, needs, and priorities through a collaborative, joint study process. The resultant plan will identify policies, programs, strategies, and projects (with schedules, responsibilities, costs, and funding sources) the County and cities are prepared to support and use as the basis for funding requests for state and federal funding and developing capital improvement budgets. In addition to the transportation update, the effort will also include market research to better understand Cobb Community Transit (CCT) customer attitudes, beliefs and perceptions, a CCT customer satisfaction survey, and a County-wide Human Services Transportation Plan. For additional information, please visit 2030 CTP Update




Time running out for Veterans education program
The Veterans Retraining Assistance Program is seeking applicants who can qualify for an additional 12 months of Montgomery GI Bill benefits for training towards a high-demand occupation. The two year program, which began in 2011, can only accept applications until Sept. 30 and the last payment can be made through March 31, 2014. VRAP participants who do not enroll in school by March of this year will not be able to receive a full 12 months of training. Officials said there are an estimated 50,000 veterans who have been approved for eligibility, but have not started using their benefit. For more information about this program, go to www.benefits.va.gov/VOW


Veterans have opportunity to gain on-the-job training
The GI Bill offers both on-the-job and apprenticeship training programs to veterans using their VA educational benefits, including the Post-911 GI Bill. These programs allow veterans to learn a trade or skill through training on the job rather than attending formal classroom instruction. Veterans in an approved program can use their GI Bill benefit and receive a tax-free stipend.
Requirements generally entail submitting a training request form that specifically outlines the proposed program, wages and standard workweek information, as well as the company contact name and phone number. Once required documents are submitted, approval is generally completed in 1-2 months. For detailed information on the programs and how to apply for each, please click here.


Millage will be rolled back for property taxes
Recently the Cobb’s Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on a plan to reduce property taxes. This vote was the first step in a five-year effort to reduce the general fund portion of property taxes back to pre-recession levels.

In 2011, I made a commitment to balance the county’ budget and provide property tax relief at the first opportunity. On Tuesday evening, commissioners approved the initial step in this effort. We will reduce our current millage rate from 7.72 mills to 7.52 mills. Current estimates are that a .20 decrease each year during the next four years and a .10 decrease in the fifth year will enable us to return to 6.82 mills. Of course we will do this with a continued focus on providing an efficient and effective level of government services.

Last year we faced a projected $27.2 million deficit. Decisive action was needed to avoid a financial crisis, so we increased the millage rate and our elected officials cut their county operating budgets by 10 percent. We delayed major capital investments. We even furloughed most of our employees for a week. These actions, along with restricted hiring, a major overhaul of our health benefit programs and a stirring economy, resulted in a General Fund FY 2012 projected increase of revenues over expenditures totaling approximately $12.6 million.

I remain committed to reducing the millage rate further. I am hopeful the millage rate reductions can be accomplished sooner than the planned five years. I will be working with our commissioners and county staff to accelerate this process wherever possible.