MDJ Voter Guide, Cobb Board of Commissioners, Chair

Editor's note: The MDJ Voter Guide was published in Saturday's newspaper.

REPUBLICANS

Kay Morgan

Occupation: Realtor

Party: Republican

Age: 66

Residence: West Cobb

Hometown: Decatur, Georgia

Family: Husband Mark Morgan; Children Madelyn Olavarria (age 32), Kenzie Morgan (age 31), Max Morgan ( age 29)

Education/military service: BBA

Have you served in elected office before: No

Campaign website: kayforcobbchair.com

1. Why are you running for a seat on the Cobb County Board of Commissioners?

I have lived and worked in Cobb County for almost 40 years. I moved here to be in the suburbs after spending many years in the City of Atlanta. Here in Cobb we have excellent schools and a hometown feel. I disagree with the lack of transparency afforded the citizens from the current Commission majority. We are being taxed beyond our capacity to afford. We are adding density at too rapid a pace. We need to take back control of our commission as citizens and taxpayers. I plan to do just that - give the citizens a voice in their futures.

2. Are you in favor of a 30-year sales tax funding transit for Cobb County? Why?

I am most definitely not in favor of a 30 year tax. Such a time span will ultimately lead to out-of-control cost overruns and uncontrolled spending. Not that our transportation system doesn't need attention. In parts of the county where the density supports it, a 5 year tax could add value to our existing Cobb Linc. But currently, our roads and traffic need attention and that is accomplished better from a 5 year T-SPLOST. Expanding public transit will do little to help our current traffic situation since a large portion of the traffic on our highways is 'pass through' traffic from adjacent counties, who would not be utilizing our buses.

3. Do you support the county’s stormwater fee proposal? Why?

Not in its current form. Cobb water customers already have stormwater incorporated into their water bill at present. The amount is based upon how much water a household uses which does not have any correlation to how much stormwater runoff your property creates. If the county were to: 1. Stop the transfer of funds from the water department to the county general fund, 2. Lower water bills by an amount commensurate with the current stormwater fees and 3. Develop a plan to insure schools and churches and other non-profits were not overly impacted, I could get behind a stormwater fee based upon impermeable surface on a property as more equitable.

4. Justice Louis Brandeis called sunlight the best of disinfectants. What can be done to make the county government more transparent to the public?

I firmly believe that as citizens, we have a right to know exactly how our tax dollars are being allocated. I would foster honest, open communication between the Board members and the community. I would work to ensure that public records were easily accessed without a fee and provide detailed information on the budgeting process to ensure the citizens could readily see how their tax dollars were being spent. I would also continue the tradition of hosting community forums and town hall meetings. Lastly, I would like to see the county website more data driven so that citizens could readily access information.

5. If you could change one thing in Cobb County’s zoning code, what would it be and why?

I think the current code has been developed very thoughtfully and with great care over time as Cobb County continues to grow. I would not change anything at this time except perhaps add an R-25 to bridge the current zoning categories.

DEMOCRATS

Lisa Cupid (incumbent)

Occupation: Cobb Chairwoman

Party: Democrat

Age: 46

Residence: City of Smyrna, Mableton Address

Hometown: Southfield, Michigan

Family: Married to a fellow engineer turned attorney with 2 active teenaged children

Education/military service: B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Tech; B.A. in English, Georgia State; Juris Doctor and Masters of Public Administration, Georgia State

Have you served in elected office before: Yes

Campaign website: www.cupidforcobb.com

1. Why are you running for a seat on the Cobb County Board of Commissioners?

I have served on the Board of Commissioners for almost 12 years with the last 3 ½ as Chair. I have led Cobb through a pandemic, cityhood, and redistricting while investing in our roads, sidewalks, facilities, and people while maintaining our AAA bond ratings. Cobb remains a desirable place for residents, businesses, and visitors with growth year after year. I have led increases in employee pay, small business support, and partnerships to provide millions in federal funding for mental and physical health, housing, food security, employment, stormwater repair and more. During my tenure, we also established a real-time crime center and are experiencing historic decreases in crime. Moving forward I want to embrace sustainability, technology, and inclusivity, so Cobb maintains its position as a leader in the state and for all areas and people of the county. My goal is to ensure the organization has resources and policies for Cobb to continue to thrive financially, operationally, and environmentally. I want to ensure we are embracing technology, so as it advances, Cobb advances. Finally, I desire to continue to ensure our services and investment are reaching all areas and populations of the county whether in housing, mobility, economic development, and more.

2. Are you in favor of a 30-year sales tax funding transit for Cobb County? Why?

I will never forget when I first ran for office meeting persons, one even in tears after having to walk two miles to the hospital for care. I will not forget the times I have helped mothers waiting at busstops and learning of the length of the time it would take to drop off children to daycare before going to work. I remember a new Cobb business expressing concern their employees did not have transit options like its other Metro Atlanta location. These stories are only a handful of opportunities we could address with our referendum.

A short-term transportation program fails to attract strong federal support or cover operations and maintenance costs, the most significant ongoing costs of today’s system. Today, we cover those costs from our general fund at over $20M annually.

A more robust transit program can reduce congestion; strengthen the economy; connect people to jobs, education, and the region; lessen pollution; and provide mobility for those who cannot and choose not to drive like many who are younger, aging, disabled, and simply traffic-fatigued. Our referendum also includes related intersection, sidewalk, bike and trail projects.

An approved referendum can transform mobility for the better and for our future.

3. Do you support the county’s stormwater fee proposal? Why?

Yes. A stormwater fee is the most equitable form of dedicated payment to cover stormwater infrastructure costs. This infrastructure faces increasing burden as Cobb grows and the climate changes. Currently residents pay for stormwater based on water consumption which is unrelated to their burden on stormwater infrastructure. Moreover, our current way of paying for stormwater has been inadequate resulting in continuing repair backlogs. These backlogs will grow without adequate stormwater funding and result in increasing flood events.

There has been reasonable concern about Cobb’s practice of transferring 10% of water funds to the general fund. This practice was adopted over a decade ago to lower taxes and provide a mechanism for charging property owners that are exempt from property taxes for their use of county services and infrastructure. An example is a nonprofit with employees that use roads or police services. Were the transfer to stop today only about $500K could be used toward stormwater. Thus, stopping that practice would not adequately cover stormwater expenses. Still, it is clear, the county must improve education and support for the practice or cease it. Today’s board has been decreasing the transfer which is at 6% and is dropping a percent each year.

4. Justice Louis Brandeis called sunlight the best of disinfectants. What can be done to make the county government more transparent to the public?

Our county operates under the state laws that require open meetings and open records. Moreover, our regular public meetings are televised, streamed and posted online. We also have other public meetings associated with projects and other initiatives. I am glad to have started Cobb 101 and our youth commission. These two programs in addition to others like our Public Safety Academy and How to Do Business with Cobb help inform citizens about current practices. I encourage residents to view and attend our meetings, participate in our programs, and go to other meetings like town halls and civic meetings where commissioners and agency directors are presenting. These options and more provide citizens multiple ways to learn more about what is happening in county government.

5. If you could change one thing in Cobb County’s zoning code, what would it be and why?

I am pleased to help advance the update of our zoning code which is woefully outdated and currently does not reflect the regular list of zoning conditions our savvy community civic organizations add to their zoning cases to uphold a high quality standard for their area. These conditions address architecture, landscaping, lighting and more. These regular conditions add to higher quality development and should be standardized to improve the quality of development for all communities in our county. Nonetheless, communities without civic advocacy groups and experience in zoning lack similar protective measures. All of Cobb’s communities should reflect the best standards that have been set through zoning over time, and updating our code to reflect these standards will help.

We are updating our zoning code to a “unified development code” which will unify our zoning standards and development standards to one document. A unified development code can reduce misunderstanding and inconsistent updates in having multiple sets of documents for reference. The update of our existing zoning code to a unified development code is a multi-year process and is ongoing. I am looking forward to having higher standards of development that are easier understood and utilized by all.

Shelia Edwards

Occupation: Communications and Business Entrepreneur

Party: Democrat

Residence: I have been a resident of Cobb County for over 30 years. In 1992, my family relocated to Marietta from Florida after my husband was transferred from Lockheed at Kennedy Space Center to Lockheed Martin in Marietta. My children attended Marietta City schools before heading off to college. I later built a home in Mableton and have resided here since 2008.

Hometown: The ‘Low Country’ of South Carolina

Family: Children - Courtney, Erik, and fur baby Einstein.

Education/military service: I am a College Graduate and have received Executive Education training in Management Leadership at Emory Business School.

Have you served in elected office before: While I have not held elected office, I have committed myself to collaborating with and supporting elected officials at various levels of government. Notably, I served as the inaugural District Director for Congressman David Scott, where I fostered open communications and cooperation between constituents and their federal representative. Additionally, I played a pivotal role as the Deputy Executive Director of the City of Atlanta Charter Review Commission, making extensive contributions to the revision of this fundamental governing document. Furthermore, I have held significant communications roles within two local governments as well as in corporate America. These experiences reflect my dedication to effective governance and highlights my ability to make meaningful contributions in key governmental settings.

1. Why are you running for a seat on the Cobb County Board of Commissioners?

I am running for Chair of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners because our county deserves stronger leadership than what it has experienced over the past three years. I, like many residents of Cobb, have been deeply troubled by the fiscal irresponsibility and excessive taxation being imposed by our current leadership onto citizens - this includes their refusal to roll back the millage rate; attempts to levy a water/sewer tax on citizens when we are already paying for this service in our current water bills; and the 30-year mobility/transportation tax they want to place on us, our children, and our children’s children. In today's uncertain economic climate, it's crucial to ease the burden of extreme taxes. As Chair, I will lead this charge. My priority will be to tighten the county's fiscal belt before asking citizens for more. Likewise, the pattern of excessive and wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars on lawsuits, consultants, and other unnecessary expenditures is equally concerning. This misuse of funds not only strains our county's resources, but also undermines the trust and confidence our community should have in its elected leaders. As Chair, I will prioritize fiscal responsibility and accountability, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used wisely and transparently for the benefit of our residents. It's time to end wasteful spending and redirect our focus towards investments that truly serve the needs of our community, not any individual. I want to rebuild citizens' trust in their government that has been eroded and believe that eliminating excessive spending and being transparent are excellent starting places. Additionally, I am committed to addressing the dysfunction, the incivility, and the lack of leadership plaguing the current board. To ensure that citizens of Cobb County are well-served, it's imperative to restore professionalism, cultivate constructive interaction, and foster harmony among board members, which is currently lacking. Lastly, I firmly believe in upholding the Cobb County Charter, which mandates a County Manager form of government. The current office holder has deviated from this structure, and I am determined to restore it to its defined framework. My decision to run for this position stems from a genuine desire to serve our community and directly tackle these critical issues facing Cobb County.

2. Are you in favor of a 30-year sales tax funding transit for Cobb County? Why?

As a taxpayer and homeowner, I do not support a 30-year sales tax initiative to fund transit for Cobb County. I have deep-seated concerns that extend beyond the information currently being shared to garner support for this tax. While it is imperative to plan for the future, committing to a $14 billion tax over three decades is excessive. Additionally, I am worried about the potential for funds raised through this tax being diverted to the General Fund. The current administration's proposed plan seems riddled with holes, akin to swiss cheese. I stand in solidarity with the mayors of most cities in Cobb who share these same concerns. I believe that a world class community needs to plan for transportation and can work with members of the commission and mayors of the various cities to devise a reasonable plan for transportation and mobility in Cobb, but 30 years is untenable.

3. Do you support the county’s stormwater fee proposal?

I oppose the county's stormwater fee proposal and share the same concerns of other residents - that we are already paying for this service through our water bills. It is perplexing why Cobb citizens are being asked to pay twice for the same service. Like Commissioner JoAnne Birrell, I seek clarification on why funds from the water department are being diverted to the general fund. Until these significant issues are addressed, it is unjustifiable to burden citizens with additional fees (aka taxes) with no clear or honest rationale for its purpose.

4. Justice Louis Brandeis called sunlight the best of disinfectants. What can be done to make the county government more transparent to the public?

To enhance transparency in county government, I propose returning the management of the county's business back to the county manager, which is defined in our charter. This shift will streamline operations and ensure that elected officials remain accountable to the public and focused on their true job responsibilities. Additionally, I would advocate for reducing the reliance on outside consultants. Citizens elected officials, not consultants, to lead the county. These elected leaders are then held accountable for decisions they make in office by citizens. This unhealthy reliance on consultants created by the current chair, as well as the mounting costs of engaging them, are unsustainable. I am committed to collaborating with fellow commissioners to provide effective leadership and empower the county manager and staff to fulfill their roles efficiently and effectively for the citizens of Cobb. There may be times to utilize a consultant on a matter, but every decision from our county government cannot be derived from the advice of a consultant.

5. If you could change one thing in Cobb County’s zoning code, what would it be and why?

If I were to suggest a single change to Cobb's zoning code, it would involve a strategic approach to addressing density in specific areas. It is imperative that we tackle the issue of the 'missing middle' housing options that are currently lacking in Cobb. This adjustment is crucial in combating the longstanding affordability challenges that have been overlooked for far too long. I would advocate for the inclusion of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), contemporary-style tiny homes, and the promotion of land trusts as part of this initiative.