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It may be too soon to celebrate parks bond

1/19/2017

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It may be too soon to celebrate parks bond
January 19, 2017

DEAR EDITOR:
Cobb commissioners unanimously approved the new/old park bonds for $24.7 million, plus additional millions in fees and interest, however much that will be. New Chairman Mike Boyce said this is the only tax increase he will approve so the county can honor the 2008 park referendum approved by voters.

For those celebrating, what we are told will be the permanent addition of new green space to the county, I offer four points for your consideration.

First, at public meetings Cobb officials encouraged the “nomination” of properties for consideration by staff, whether the property owners happened to want to sell their land or not. I assume commissioners will use the hammer of eminent domain against any recalcitrant property owners who do not wish to part with their land for the public good. Anyone owning anything should think about this power of government to seize private property.

Second, I hope that speculators who bought land during the building boom will not succeed in unloading on the county economically worthless properties, such as flood plains, as has happened in the past. And I hope county staff and commissioners will not choose such properties for parks while bypassing authentic wilderness areas for future commercial and residential development with the intent of increasing economic development and the county tax base.

Third, I hope any new parks will actually remain parks and green space, that forests will not be bulldozed to make way for parking lots, tennis courts and baseball fields. If that happened, we would not have the acquisition of green space but only more of what Cobb already has in abundance.

Fourth, this project should give pause about the millions of dollars the school system spends for ball fields, stadiums and performing arts centers. This money is supposed to be earmarked for education, not sports. Now we are stuck with, “The recently completed (performing arts) center, part of a nearly $20 million dollar project at the school which also includes a new gym and upgrades to athletic facilities ...” There is $20 million for school athletics facilities and a glorified meeting room, which have nothing to do with academics, while the commissioners fret over raising not much more than that for permanent parks everyone can enjoy?

It may be too soon to celebrate the green space bonds and the honor and wisdom of government.

​Tony Cain

Austell
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2 New Marietta Daily Journal Letters to the Editor

1/18/2017

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Why can’t full $40 million in parks bond be issued?
Jan 16, 2017
DEAR EDITOR:
Perhaps our county officials might enlighten us as to what specific language in the referendum (authorizing the $40 million parks bond) prevents the full $40M in bonds from being issued. Various and sundry allusions to it do not answer that question. What is that language and who is construing or interpreting it?
Scott Chadwick
Marietta

​
Hail to the Chief (chairman)
Jan 16, 2017
DEAR EDITOR:
I sent congratulatory emails to all Board of Commissioners members, including Chairman Boyce, concerning their passage (5-0) of the 2008 Park Bond on Jan. 10. Voters approved this $40M bond in 2008 by a 67 percent yes vote. Since payments were missed until now, the bond could only be funded at $24.7 million. I feel absolutely certain that Chairman Boyce will find $15.3 million to fully fund the bond. Unlike the previous chairman, he actually listens to residents and voters. Not only does he listen, he acts. It is so fantastic to have a chairman who does so.
Robert Roth
Marietta
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Cobb poised to approve park bonds, a campaign promise of new chairman

1/9/2017

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Cobb poised to approve park bonds, a campaign promise of new chairman
By 
Meris Lutz - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Posted: 12:40 p.m. Monday, January 09, 2017


A majority of the Cobb County Commission appear poised to approve the issuance of $24.7 million in park bonds to buy greenspace.

The commission is scheduled to vote on the bonds Tuesday, a first step toward fulfilling a central promise of new chairman Mike Boyce’s election campaign.

The proposed action includes increasing the millage rate by .13 mills, or $10.49 per year on a house valued at $200,000. The $24.7 million represents the remaining sum the county can legally collect based on a $40 million park bond referendum that passed in 2008, but was shelved due to the recession.

The Cobb Parks Coalition, a citizen advocacy group, celebrated the impending vote.
“Great News! Chairman Mike Boyce is already taking steps to honor the vote for the Park Bond 2008 Referendum, as he pledged to do during his campaign for Chairman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners,” the group said in a statement over the weekend.

The board rejected a similar proposal, 3-2, in November, with then-Chairman Tim Lee and commissioners Bob Ott and Lisa Cupid opposing.

Cupid said last week she is ready to support issuing park bonds, but Ott voiced concern. He suggested the board first identify the properties the county should buy, then find a way to fund the cost.

Ott said the citizens committee tasked with compiling a list of potential park properties spent a lot of time on it.

“We owe it to them” to review the list before taking action, Ott said.

Boyce said he wanted to “send a message” to voters by issuing what bonds could be issued as soon as possible, adding that he was committed to finding more money to honor the $40 million approved by voters.

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