Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Here's one columnist's proposal to promote stability while ensuring economic growth.
Over the last few years we’ve seen unprecedented drops in property values and depletion of tax revenues generated from property taxes. I guess there are many reasons for this, including the crash of an over-inflated housing market, incredible foreclosure rates and a recovery that has never really happened. So communities find themselves with millions of dollars of real estate without owners who are not paying income taxes AND a tax base that is literally shrinking before their very eyes. Because communities are generally not allowed to run a deficit, many opt to simply raise taxes instead of cutting back on Government services. Many combine tax increases with cutbacks in services. Virtually all communities are scratching their heads …
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Tim Lee fielded TSPLOST questions at his first town-hall meeting in Northeast Cobb since becoming Cobb Board of Commissioners chairman.
Transportation was the central theme at the Mountain View Community Center Tuesday as about 75 residents gathered to get an update on the county from Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee, who is running for a second term in the July 31 primary. "I've missed these opportunities to speak with residents," said Lee, who brought about 15 staffers from several departments to help answer questions. Most of those questions dealt with transportation issues facing the county, including the $984 million tax referendum Cobb residents will vote on in the July 31 election. If approved, the 1 percent sales tax could raise $8 billion over 10 years to go toward road and transit projects in the 10-county metro-Atlanta area. "About 98 percent of that money stays…
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Part 2 of the pro-sales-tax campaign kicked off Wednesday. What do you think?
- ELECTIONS
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Thursday, April 5, 2012
Citizens for Transportation Mobility held a news conference in Buckhead Wednesday to unveil its campaign urging voters in Cobb and nine other counties in metro Atlanta to approve the TSPLOST referendum July 31. “Traffic is killing jobs. Let’s untie the knot,” the new commercial says, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which got a preview. Unlike the education phase of the campaign for the 1-cent, 10-year regional transportation sales tax, the new push makes no effort to hide its desired outcome: approval of the tax. The tax would provide an estimated $6.14 billion for a list of regional road and transit projects, plus about $1 billion in Cobb-specific projects. Opponents of the tax lack the money and organization of the …
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
If Cobb voters again say yes, Sunday sales will start in unincorporated areas Aug. 12.
- ELECTIONS
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Wednesday, April 4, 2012
A Paulding County judge has made it official: All of Cobb County will vote again on Sunday package sales of alcohol July 31. Superior Court Judge Arthur Fudger signed a consent order Monday between the county and plaintiffs who challenged the March 6 referendum in which residents of unincorporated voted to allow Sunday sales, The Marietta Daily Journal reported. The order was filed with the Cobb County Superior Court clerk's office Tuesday. Former state Rep. Roger Hines of Acworth made the challenge, arguing that the county was wrong to exclude residents of Cobb's six cities from the countywide vote. Fudger received the case because Cobb's Superior Court judges recused themselves. The county Board of Elections and Registration decided …
Saturday, March 31, 2012
What do you think about the newly passed legislation banning most abortions after 20 weeks?
- GOVERNMENT
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Saturday, March 31, 2012
The Georgia General Assembly passed a "fetal pain" abortion bill in the final hour of the 2012 legislative session Thursday night. If signed by Gov. Nathan Deal as expected, H.B. 954 would ban abortion after 20 weeks, the midpoint of pregnancy, except in "medically futile" cases or when the mother risks death or irreversible physical damage. The bill defines "medically futile" as a birth defect "that is incompatible with life"—essentially, a woman won't be forced to carry to term a fetus doctors think can't survive. There are no exceptions for rape or incest. The measure moves the cutoff for abortions back from 26 weeks because, it says, a fetus can feel pain at 20 weeks. The House voted 106-59 with about 40 minutes left in the 40-day …
Thursday, March 29, 2012
The high foreclosure rate around Atlanta makes Northeast Cobb homeowners vulnerable to con artists.
- GOVERNMENT
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Thursday, March 29, 2012
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Wednesday announced Know It. Avoid It. Report It., a consumer awareness campaign in Atlanta designed to educate consumers on loan modification and foreclosure scams and encourage them to take action. Atlanta is a hotbed for scams because of high foreclosure rates, according to HUD. Atlanta has a 332 percent higher rate of mortgage fraud than the national average . The campaign's objective is to inform struggling homeowners about the importance of working with HUD-approved agencies as they fight to save their homes. “One should never have to pay for foreclosure counseling or assistance,” said Ed Jennings Jr., the regional administrator for HUD in Atlanta. “That's why we need …
Monday, March 12, 2012
The commissioners meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the government complex, 100 Cherokee Street, Marietta.
The county commissioners will be meeting in the morning, and have a light agenda. They plan to take up several items including: ∗ The board will vote on changing the county code to clarify the difference between “for sale” condominiums and ones “for lease." The move would suspend the use of the “urban condominium” zoning until at least July, giving staff time to review other options, County Community Development Director Rob Hosack told the Marietta Daily Journal. There has been some concern about the time limit in which condominium builders are allowed to lease, instead of selling, units. ∗ The board is expected to vote to accept unspent money from the 1995-99 Home Investment Partnerships Act program originally given to Fulton County. …
Saturday, March 10, 2012
The bill moves on to the state House of Representatives for approval.
- GOVERNMENT
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Saturday, March 10, 2012
State welfare recipients are one step closer to having to undergo drug testing before they receive state money, since the Georgia Senate passed the Social Responsibility and Accountability Act on Wednesday. However, the bill still needs to go to the state House of Representatives for approval before it becomes law. Sponsored by Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell), the legislation requires recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to undergo drug screening to determine welfare eligibility. “True compassion is doing what’s best for people, not what’s easiest,” said Albers. “This is the ideology behind why the bill is named the Social Responsibility and Accountability Act. With the passage of SB 292 today, we will help ensure the …
Friday, March 9, 2012
Take a look at the dogs and cats available for adoption at Cobb County Animal Control in Marietta.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
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Friday, March 9, 2012
Available Cats Click here to see the full list and photos of available cats at Cobb County Animal Control shelter. Available Dogs Click here to see the full list and photos of available dogs at Cobb County Animal Control shelter. Hours for Adoptions and Reclaim Dog and Puppy Adoption: $110 All dogs and puppies have received all vaccinations (including rabies), been de-wormed and have been spayed/neutered. All canines 6 months of age and over have been heartworm tested. Cat and Kitten Adoption: $110 All cats and kittens have received all vaccinations (including rabies), been de-wormed and have been spayed/neutered. All felines 6 months of age and over have been combo tested. If you find a new best friend at the shelter tell us about them!
33.903119
-84.584725
Cobb County Animal Control
1060 Al Bishop Dr SW, Marietta, GA
/articles/dogs-cats-looking-for-homes-8d7806cf
1111826
/locations/6551013
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Cobb elections officials were about 90 minutes slower getting the first results out last night than during the SPLOST vote in March 2011, but then things moved faster.
If you went in search of election results last night on the Cobb County election returns home page, you had to wait until 9 p.m., two hours after the polls closed, for any information. It was close to 11 p.m. before all of the results were in. When Cobb County had the SPLOST election a year ago, the first results came in by 7:30 p.m. In an e-mail to Patch, Elections Director Janine Eveler says there is a logical, positive explanation: Our processes have changed since March 2011; we no longer ask the poll workers to transmit results from the polls. Transmitting did provide some initial results sooner but it delayed the overall process by adding 42 additional steps to the poll closing procedures and because some polls made multiple …
Taxus Moore
7:16 pm on Friday, May 11, 2012
Vote "NO" for the taxportation referendum: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqi3uO8Amvs more ›