Byrne, former Cobb chairman, announces run for commission seat
Bill Byrne, former chairman of the Cobb County Commission from 1992-2002, is the first person to announce that he will run for the District 1 commission seat being vacated by Helen Goreham at the end of the year.
Byrne, a Republican, has been critical of chairman Tim Lee and the $300 million commitment to build a stadium for the Atlanta Braves in the Cumberland area. He says the campaign will focus on public safety, economic development, and governing based on conservative principles of limited government.
Byrne said he was planning on challenging Goreham for the district commission seat before her recent announcement that she would not seek re-election.
“One of the major concerns with a development of (the Braves) magnitude just three years away is where is the money going to come from for new firefighters and police officers,” Byrne said.
On Monday, Jack Forsythe, Cobb’s director of public safety, resigned with a four-page letter that said the county is approaching a “crisis” in public safety because of its inability to attract and retain police officers.
“Public safety is screaming for help in Cobb County,” Byrne said.
Goreham was first elected in 2002. During her tenure on the commission she has been Lee’s biggest supporter.
About the Author
Dan Klepal is editor of the local government team, supervising nine reporters covering county and municipal governments and metro Atlanta. Klepal came to the AJC in 2012, after a long career covering city halls in Cincinnati and Louisville, Ky. He has covered Gwinnett and Cobb counties before spending three years on the investigative team.
