A plan by Cobb County’s Commission chairman would include a tax increase, close all but four of the county’s libraries and require across the board cuts in county departments to close a $31. 5 million budget gap.
Chairman Tim Lee’s plan includes a millage rate increase for the fire fund, which would move the county’s overall rate from 9.6 to 10.1. The .5 mill fire-fund increase would equal an additional $40 in taxes on a $200,000 house.
The plan also calls for all county departments to cut their budgets by 3.5 percent, for a $9 million savings. Another $2.6 million would be saved by closing two pools, two senior centers and most of the county’s libraries. Only the four regional branches — Central, Mountain View, South Cobb and West Cobb libraries — would remain open.
Commissioners are scheduled to vote on a mid-year, revised budget plan on Tuesday. The changes will take effect May 1.
Lee had not heard back from all commissioners on Friday and didn’t know if he had enough votes to pass his proposal.
Commissioner Bob Ott, who represents the southeastern part of the county, objected to the plan Friday.
“As the elected representative for District 2, I have a hard time understanding why District 2 will have no libraries, senior centers or pools whereas each of the citizens of the other districts will have at least [one of each],” said Ott. “I don’t think it’s right for the citizens of District 2 as they pay the same taxes as everyone else.
Ott would prefer reducing the size of government by removing the “multiple layers of middle management” built up over the years instead of just cutting critical services, he said.
With his plan circulating Friday, Lee had already heard from several residents asking to keep libraries open, he said.
Also included in Lee’s plan are one-time cuts to the aviation museum grant, county’s non-profit organization and money to replace county vehicles. A three percent pension contribution would also be shifted to employees and the Mable House amphitheater, a money loser for the county, would also be closed. Cuts to the county’s CCT bus service are expected in upcoming weeks.
A secondary baseline proposal, Lee deemed “implausible,” would be more extreme with no millage increase, but severe cuts in the library system, along with several parks and recreation facilities that would be closed.
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