A group of citizens appointed by Cobb County Commissioners met for the first time Thursday to begin reviewing the county’s priorities, management structure, and spending.
Commissioners created the citizens panel in December just before agreeing to call for the recently approved local sales tax referendum.
Brett McClung, a Marietta CPA, was selected as the group’s interim chairman. A permanent leader could be selected after three panel members are approved by the commission next month.
After introductions and opening statements from county officials, some panel members initially wanted reporters removed from the meeting. The group is not a public body and not subject to open meetings laws, according to the county attorney, but doing work behind closed doors could lead to questions from the community, other members argued. After a 15-minute discussion, reporters were let back into the room for the remainder of the meeting.
The committee’s deadline for submitting its recommendations to commissioners is June 28. The group is scheduled to be dissolved at the end of the year unless commissioners extend their work.
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