The Cobb County Board of Commissioners voted 2-3 Tuesday against issuing $27.4 million in park bonds.
Proposed by Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, these bonds would have been a first step in fulfilling the county’s pledge to fund $40 million in park bonds when this item was approved by 67 percent of Cobb voters on a November 2008 referendum.
An affirmative vote would have meant an increase in the millage rate of .13 mills, resulting in an increase of $10.49 per year on a $200,000 house.
Commissioner Bob Weatherford joined Birrell in supporting the issuance of these bonds.
Opposed were Commission Chairman Tim Lee and Commissioners Lisa Cupid and Bob Ott who all stated their support for new parks but voiced different reasons for their opposition.
Lee said he was opposed due to the tax increase that would be required.
Cupid said she is against issuing any park bonds until county staff, including part-time employees, receive pay increases for maintaining the new parks.
Ott said he supports a delay since approval now would not expedite acquisition of the 13 properties on the new list.
That list was compiled by a county committee appointed by Lee earlier this year and submitted to the commissioners in late October.
*Correction: The park bond proposal was for $27.4 million, not $24.7 million.
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