The effort to form a new city of Mableton in South Cobb cleared the House of Representatives on Friday, days before a legislative deadline could have torpedoed the measure.
The House voted 134-2 to advance the bill to the state Senate, whose approval is still needed to authorize a voter referendum.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Erica Thomas, D-Austell, would allow voters to incorporate a majority Black city that would cover much of unincorporated South Cobb. The boundaries extend well beyond the community’s historic core, which was once an incorporated town for about five years in the early 1900s.
“We want to give the people a voice and let them say whether or not they want the city of Mableton,” Thomas said, adding that a city government would give residents “greater autonomy over what happens in our community.”
The overwhelming bipartisan support for the bill came in stark contrast to three other cityhood movements in Cobb County, which have been bitterly opposed by most Democrats in the General Assembly.
One key difference: The other three, all spearheaded by Republicans, have been fast-tracked to the May primary ballot over the objections of county officials, who asked for more time to study the impact the cityhood movements would have on county services and residents.
The Mableton referendum would be held in November if it clears the state Senate and is signed into law, allowing more time for voters to learn the pros and cons of a decision that could permanently reshape the future of their community.
Home to the Silver Comet Trail and the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre, the proposed city would be 52% Black, with a population of nearly 78,000, according to the South Cobb Alliance, which is backing the effort. Tucked between the cities of Smyrna in the east and Austell and Powder Springs in the west, the Mableton city boundaries blanket the county’s southern tip, extending from the county line to just past the East-West Connector in the north.
An interactive map can be found at cobbcounty.org/cityhood.
Like the other Cobb cityhood movements, Mableton would provide fewer services than the typical Georgia city. The bill calls for departments of community development, code enforcement, parks and sanitation. The county would still be relied on for other essential services, such as police and fire.
A feasibility study found that the city would be financially viable without a tax increase. However, county finance officials say the county government would lose nearly $11 million annually in revenue if Mableton incorporates, and see minimal savings when the city takes over certain services.
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