Cityhood advocates in East Cobb must pay $5,000 in fines after a state ethics review found that the ballot committee did not submit financial disclosure reports leading up to the May primary.
The committee’s contribution report released this month shows it raised $112,525 total before May 9, when the report was supposed to be submitted.
Cityhood opponents filed a complaint with the Georgia Government Transparency and Finance Commission alleging the Committee for Cityhood in East Cobb broke campaign disclosure laws, prompting the ethics review.
According to the final ethics report by the commission, the cityhood committee “previously sought advice but there was a misunderstanding and that it mistakenly thought it was not required to register as a ballot committee and report its activity.”
The committee’s largest donor was Owen Brown, the owner of a retail property management company with multiple East Cobb locations, who gave $20,000. Other major donations also stemmed from businesses and investors.
State law requires groups campaigning for or against a ballot question with more than $500 in campaign contributions to register with the ethics commission and disclose financial reports 15 days prior to the election. The voters of East Cobb rejected the new city after critics argued the proponents were not transparent and moved too quickly. Cityhood efforts in Lost Mountain and Vinings were also unsuccessful in the May primary.
Mableton is the last proposed city on Cobb County ballots this year, which will be voted on in the November election.
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