Cobb development board gains new member, loses dissenting economist

He also worked for the state’s community affairs department, partnering with rural counties to support economic development programs, and currently serves on Select Cobb’s board of directors supporting business interests in the county.

As a conservative, he supports tax incentives for businesses to spur development that brings jobs and economic benefits to the county, while also weighing potential downsides, he said.

“I think every single project needs to be looked at individually: what it brings and what the possible negatives are and how viable it’s going to be over the long term,” Shepherd said. “My hope is to be able to bring the decades of experience I have around economic development to the position, and basically be a voice that will help Cobb County grow in the right way.”

Commissioner Keli Gambrill made the appointment, which was approved by the Cobb Commission Tuesday. Each board member appoints one person to the development authority, and two are decided by the entire commission.

Bradbury, who served for four years on the development board, is a Kennesaw State University economist and an outspoken critic of the public financing deal for the Truist Park stadium that brought the Atlanta Braves to Cobb County. He was appointed in 2019 despite some commissioners’ opposition at that time.

With his departure, the development authority will lose a dissenting voice against nearly all tax incentives.

“I didn’t really intend to serve another term,” Bradbury said. “I’m an academic and have other things going on, so I thought I’d just do it for one term.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated one of Shepherd’s prior positions. He served four years as chairman of the Cobb County Republican Party.