Marietta Election Guide

Take a look at some of the candidates, incumbents and issues that will be affecting Marietta and Cobb County.

As we look ahead to November’s elections, Marietta Patch is devoted to bringing you the information you need about races in town. Here are just a few of the candidates and issues we'll be covering as November draws near. Transportation Investment Act, or TSPLOST: The upcoming TSPLOST regional transportation referendum is one of the most pressing issues in the upcoming vote. Learn more about TSPLOST and what others are saying about it here. House Resolution 1162: Voters will decide if the state can override local school boards' decisions on rejection of charter schools. The measure would mean amending the state's current constitution. District 11 U.S. House of Representative: Congressman Phil Gingrey (R) faces a redrawn district full of …

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Taxes, TSPLOST on Candidates' Minds

The three Republicans challenging Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee took issue with his stances on both at Wednesday's forum in Cobb.

Taxes, TSPLOST on Candidates' Minds

The three Republicans challenging Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee took issue with his stances on both at Wednesday's forum in East Cobb.

For the second time in as many days, the four Republicans running for Cobb Commission Chairman sounded off on what appears to be the most pressing issues during their two-month primary campaign—property tax increases and the upcoming TSPLOST regional transportation referendum.  In a Wednesday forum at the East Cobb Library sponsored by the East Cobb Civic Association, the three challengers to incumbent Tim Lee all took aim at his vote last year to raise the county millage rate. They also questioned his general support for the TSPLOST referendum, which is included on the July 31 primary ballot.  Former chairman Bill Byrne, Mike Boyce and Larry Savage, who ran against Lee in 2010 in the Republican race to succeed Sam Olens, all said the …

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Viewfinder: Marietta Honors Servicemen, Wounded Warriors

Take a look at the Hearts for Heroes III honored warriors; speeches from Brigadier General Joe Jarrard, Commissioner Tim Lee and others; the Marietta High JROTC; song and dance performances; and more.

Thursday night, local servicemen, wounded warriors, veterans, community leaders and civilians filled the Strand Theatre for the third annual Hearts for Heroes.  The night was dedicated to Harry Livingston Sr., one of Marietta's best-known WWII veterans and a 1937 graduate of Marietta High School. Livingston was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot. In 1944, his and 10 other "Forts" were shot down on a mission to Berlin.  After being interrogated by a German officer, he was placed in captivity with 95 other prisoners, according to the Marietta Museum of History. The prisoners were sent on a 95 mile "death march" in the winter to keep them from falling into the hands of the Russian Army.  Livingston's POW camp was liberated in 1945. He returned to …

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The Viewfinder

Community Leaders Arrested in the Wild West

Arrests, fast-draw demonstrations, old-time cooking, pony rides and other activities brought the Wild West alive at Jim Miller Park on Saturday.

The second annual Wild West Fest at Jim R. Miller Park on Saturday showcased cowboys and cowgirls, gunslingers, fast-draw demonstrations by RedDoc Entertainment and lasso lessons. There were around one thousand people in attendance for the Wild West Fest, and the event is expected to raise between $17,000 and $19,000. As part of the event, local celebrities agreed to be "arrested" and "raise bail" for the libraries. Mike Boyce, Tony Britton, Sheila Jones, Mark Mathews, Bob Ott, RJ Patel, Van Pearlberg, Woody Thompson and Bob Weatherfor were named this year's “bad guys” and put in jail at the event on Saturday. They will continue to raise funds over the next couple of weeks, Mary Ellen Leffard, of the Cobb Library Foundation, said. …

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Alcohol Vote Being Questioned

Marietta lawyer Justin O'Dell of Cauthron, Nohr & O’Dell filed a petition in Cobb County Superior Court today to ask for a revote that includes the residents of the county's six cities as well as those who live in unincorporated areas.

The Sunday Alcohol referendom that passed earlier this month in Cobb County is being taken to court. In the March 6 primary only those in unincorporated Cobb County voted on a the referendum. Some are questioning whether or not residents in Cobb's six cities should have been able to vote on it as well. In Cherokee County, all residents, cities included, voted in November to allow Sunday sales. Marietta lawyer Justin O'Dell of Cauthron, Nohr & O’Dell filed a petition in Cobb County Superior Court Friday to ask for a revote that includes the residents of the county's six cities as well as those who live in unincorporated areas, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Asked about the county's response, Cobb government spokesman Robert …

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On the Agenda

Cobb Redistricting Maps on Agenda

The Cobb County commissioners meet at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday for a work session including the final report from the Citizens Advisory Committee. The regular board meeting is at 7 p.m., 100 Cherokee St., Marietta.

The state House of Representatives voted a week ago to accept new district lines for Cobb County. But the issue is on the commissioners agenda Tuesday night. Commissioner Woody Thompson is upset because Mableton, which was in his district, will now be split into two different districts — his and Commissioner Bob Ott's. Thompson was joined by Commissioner JoAnne Birrell at the last meeting, Feb. 14, in adding a new map to the agenda at the last minute. The new map would keep all of Mableton in Thompson's district. Birrell told the Marietta Daily Journal that revisions could be made to the map before it is voted on by the state Senate. Chairman Tim Lee and Commissioner Helen Goreham said at the Feb. 14, meeting that they would be glad to …

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Cobb Redistricting Maps on Agenda

The Cobb County commissioners meet at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday for a work session including the final report from the Citizens Advisory Committee. The regular board meeting is at 7 p.m., 100 Cherokee St., Marietta.

The state House of Representatives voted a week ago to accept new district lines for Cobb County. But the issue is on the commissioners agenda Tuesday night. Commissioner Woody Thompson is upset because Mableton, which was in his district, will now be split into two different districts — his and Commissioner Bob Ott's. Thompson was joined by Commissioner JoAnne Birrell at the last meeting, Feb. 14, in adding a new map to the agenda at the last minute. The new map would keep all of Mableton in Thompson's district. Birrell told the Marietta Daily Journal that revisions could be made to the map before it is voted on by the state Senate. Chairman Tim Lee and Commissioner Helen Goreham said at the Feb. 14, meeting that they would be glad to …

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Lee Told Police Leaving for Other Jobs

While Cobb has a “great police department...we do have some problems,” retired deputy chief Bill Mull said at the commission chairman's town hall meeting Monday.

With almost five years since a pay increase for county employees, Cobb is losing members of its police force to other agencies, retired Deputy Police Chief Bill Mull told Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee during Monday night's town hall meeting in West Cobb.  There is a “great police department here (in Cobb), but we do have some problems,” said Mull, who spent 42 years on the force, retiring in 2008, and is the president of Cobb’s Fraternal Order of Police chapter. He added: “We spend lots of money recruiting employees, we spend lots of money a year training them … and then we lose them to go to other agencies.” Mull said new municipalities, like those in northern Fulton County, are “stealing our employees.” For Cobb, recent furloughs were…

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Cobb Officials Push for Congestion Relief on Northwest Corridor

State and Cobb County officials want to reduce funding for transit services and put it toward the managed reversible lanes on the county’s Northwest Corridor I-75/575. What do you think?

Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee, Kennesaw Mayor Mark Mathews, State Senators Chip Rogers and Lindsey Tippins, and State Representative Earl Earhart want to alter the Metro Atlanta Regional Transportation Referendum project list by reducing funding for transit services and putting funding toward the managed reversible lanes on the county’s North/South interstate (also known as the Northwest Corridor I-75/575 P3 initiative). Project TIA-CO-035 calls for enhanced transit services from North Cobb County to the MARTA Arts Center Station and is the most expensive project on Cobb’s list at $689 million. It was originally the leading project in Cobb’s effort to combat growing traffic congestion along I-75 and I-575. “When Cobb County went out …

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