Sales tax renewal on Tuesday's ballot: County estimates Mableton's share at $97 million, with $47 million for city buildings

Mableton would get an estimated $97 million over six years if voters renew Cobb County's 1% special purpose local option sales tax, or SPLOST, on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The city's list puts almost half of that, $47 million, toward city buildings. The county's documents don't say which buildings.

The county's SPLOST page says a "yes" vote keeps Cobb's total sales-tax rate at 6%, because this renews an existing tax and does not add a new one. The new program would run from Jan. 1, 2028, to Dec. 31, 2033. If voters say no, the current SPLOST ends Dec. 31, 2027.

The county's consolidated sample ballot estimates the tax would raise $1.15 billion for the county and seven cities, including Mableton. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and voters must use their assigned polling place.

What Mableton would get

The county's 2028 SPLOST booklet estimates Mableton's share at $97,054,953.54, the largest of the seven cities. City money is divided by each city's share of the county population, based on 2021 U.S. Census Bureau estimates. The booklet says its allocation table is "for informational purposes only."

The city's first-priority list in the booklet, called Tier 1, totals $97 million:

• $47 million for improving, enhancing and acquiring municipal buildings
• $31.4 million for road improvements across the city
• $10 million for sidewalks and multi-use trails
• $4.74 million for parks and buying parkland
• $2.86 million for technology, including financial software
• $1 million for electric vehicles and charging stations

The booklet also lists $28 million in second-priority, or Tier 2, Mableton projects. These include $11.5 million more for buildings and $7 million for green space park improvements. The booklet does not say how Tier 2 would be paid for if the estimated share only covers Tier 1.

County projects listed for District 4

The county commission approved a $794,501,563 list of county projects on April 28. Projects listed under Commission District 4 include:

• Mable House Complex renovations, $5 million
• South Cobb Aquatics renovation, $1.8 million
• Chattahoochee Riverlands Park, $3 million
• A new recreation center, $18.5 million
• An indoor track, $5 million. The list shows this as a proposed change that was not in the original recommendation.
• A new District 4 fire station, $15.4 million
• The Austell-Powder Springs Trail, $5 million

The booklet describes "a new Recreation/Community Center in the Austell/Powder Springs Area." It does not say whether that is the same project as the $18.5 million District 4 recreation center on the list.

The booklet describes $130.1 million for county road resurfacing as covering "various roadways throughout the county." To justify that spending, it cites the roughly 2,398 miles of road the county maintains "within the unincorporated area."

What is not known

The county documents do not show which District 4 projects are inside Mableton's city limits, or where the fire station and recreation center would be built. They also do not say which buildings the $47 million would pay for. This report did not review a city council vote or resolution approving Mableton's list.

A separate Mableton referendum on redevelopment powers is also on Tuesday's ballot.