Here is a roundup of news from Marietta and the surrounding area on Thursday, April 12.
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The Cobb elections board plans to hold the special ballot for the Marietta City Council on July 31.
The Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration approved one special Marietta election Monday and did all it could to prepare for another one. As expected, the elections board agreed to hold a special election July 31 to fill the Ward 1 seat on the Marietta Board of Education. That’s already the day of the primary for state and local elections, so city won't have to pay for an additional election. First-term board member Logan Weber announced his resignation last month because he’s moving to Nashville, TN, for a new job, The Marietta Daily Journal reported. The winner of the special election will serve until Dec. 31, 2013, the expiration of Weber’s term. Elections Director Janine Eveler was hoping the board also could schedule a …
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City residents will join unincorporated Cobb County in voting on the alcohol referendum this time.
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 …
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The elections board's decision means a July 31 referendum is likely, and sales could start Aug. 12.
Cobb County is back on the Sunday wagon, at least until mid-August. The county Board of Elections and Registration decided during a special meeting Friday morning not to fight a voter challenge to the referendum that approved Sunday package sales of alcohol in unincorporated parts of Cobb. That means Sunday sales will not start June 3 as now scheduled. It also means all citizens in Cobb County will likely have the chance to vote on Sunday sales again July 31, even though almost 70 percent of county voters already said yes March 6. The problem is that residents of Cobb’s six cities were excluded from the countywide referendum despite paying taxes, electing officials and receiving services from the county and voting on other countywide …
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10:06 pm on Friday, March 23, 2012
Once again, the County does not listen to the voters! Sounds like another Cobb County School Board calendar crock of poop. more ›
Georgia voters will decide the issue at the voting booth in the November general election.
The Georgia Senate approved a charter school resolution with a 40-18 vote, putting the Constitutional amendment on the November ballot for a vote by Georgia residents. The Senate leadership said HR 1162 reasserts the state’s role in public education that was stripped by the Georgia Supreme Court in May 2011. This invalidated the General Assembly’s creation of an alternative authorizer for charter schools. HR 1162 defines a state charter school in the Georgia Constitution: “This resolution is about doing what is right for students, families, and communities throughout Georgia,” said Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock. “Years from now, we will look back at the hurdles we have overcome in order to advance education reform in …
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 …
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The cost to taxpayers depends on whether voters approve the SPLOST IV in a 2013 referendum.
The Marietta School Bond was approved by voters Tuesday, 3,664 to 3,295, or 52.65 percent to 47.35 percent. The up to $7.145 million, five-year general-obligation bond will help fund an $8.9 million auditorium at Marietta High School. Marietta High is the only high school in Cobb County without an auditorium. The cost to taxpayers depends on whether voters approve the SPLOST IV in a 2013 referendum, as the sales tax revenue would be used to pay off the auditorium debt. If the SPLOST IV fails, owners of homes valued at $200,000 will face a tax increase of about $11 a year to pay off the bond, starting in 2015. Those who voted in favor of the school bond and new auditorium pointed to their support of Marietta City Schools. "I came out for …
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3:54 pm on Friday, March 9, 2012
"The cost to taxpayers depends on whether voters approve the SPLOST IV in a 2013 referendum." SPLOST is a tax. Marietta voters are on line for the $7+ million debt. It'll either be paid with property tax or sales tax. Maybe some believe that having both is great because friends we haven't met yet will help pay for the kids' schools instead of just parents and other city property owners. I'm … more ›
In Tuesday's election, voters approved Sunday alcohol sales in Marietta 70.99 to 29.01 percent.
Marietta voters approved a measure to allow the city to permit Sunday package sales of alcohol, 4983 to 2036, or 70.99 to 29.01 percent. "March 14 would be the earliest Sunday sales would be considered," Scott Everingham, Business License Manager of the City of Marietta, said. "After the vote passes the city is authorized to permit sales by retailers. The city still has to pass an ordinance before sales begin." Do you approve of voters' decision on Sunday sales? Why or why not? Unincorporated Cobb County and Powder Springs also voted Tuesday to allow Sunday sales of alcohol. Kennesaw, Acworth and Smyrna passed the measure in November 2011. Those in favor of Sunday sales stated economic and personal reasons. "I'm voting for alcohol sales…
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1:51 pm on Wednesday, March 7, 2012
It's about choice and since GA is all about commerce it surprises me that it took this long. more ›
In today's election, Cobb County residents voted in favor of Sunday alcohol sales by a landslide.
No shocker here. Unincorporated Cobb County has given its nod to Sunday sales of alcohol. The county follows various cities and other jurisdictions throughout the state that have done so. The state legislature passed a law last year that allowed cities and counties the right to make their own call on the issue. Other cities in Cobb that had the issue up for a vote were Marietta, Austell and Powder Springs. See results below and click on each city for details. Other cities—Kennesaw, Acworth, Smyrna (click one for details)—passed the measure in November 2011. Those in favor of Sunday alcohol sales pointed to the fact that with all of the other surrounding areas now having Sunday sales, it was only fair. 40.77% "I think it's important for …
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3:13 pm on Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Way to go! There must be separation of church and state. The churches should not be making laws. Not to mention it does not make sense that you can drink in restaurants and bars, yet you cannot buy at the store and drink safely at HOME. more ›
The live blog is closed, but you can replay and read all the comments. What are your thoughts on the GOP primaries? Add your comments below the article.
Newt Gingrich cruised to winning Georgia's Republican presidential primary Tuesday, his one bright spot on a night he finished only as high as third in other Super Tuesday voting. Georgia was among 10 states selecting delegates Tuesday. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won in Virginia, Vermont, Massachusetts, Idaho and Alaska. CNN and other networks projected a Romney victory in a tight race in Ohio. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum won in Tennessee, Oklahoma and North Dakota. With 99 percent of Georgia's precincts reporting, Gingrich, the former U.S. House speaker, was leading with 47.2 percent of the vote, followed by Romney at 25.9 percent, Santorum at 19.6 percent and Texas Congressman Ron Paul at 6.6 percent. Romney and …
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Hard
4:49 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Politicians are like toilets. They are full of it. more ›