This Tuesday, Cobb County Commissioners held a public hearing allowing commercial property owners to comment on a proposed new tax district for South Cobb. The district would stretch across the southern tip of Cobb County, bordered by Fulton and Douglas county lines and reaching just above Interstate 20. What would be known as “The Six Flags Special Services District,” the new tax district would be focused on a number of goals such as reducing the number of apartment units on Six Flags Drive, lowering crime rates, and beautifying the area for increased tourism.
In the Six Flags Special Services District, the proposed district would set a $10 million bond issued by South Cobb Redevelopment Authority. Investment and redevelopment in the area would provide the county with an increase in property tax revenues in order to finance this debt. Furthermore, the district plans to attach an ad valorem tax initially at 3.5 mils to owner’s property taxes to help the county buy blighted properties and improve interchanges and streetscapes, with tax collections beginning in 2015 if the district is approved.
Tuesday’s board meeting was just one of two public hearings regarding the proposed district. If the BOC approves the plan, then the South Cobb Redevelopment Authority and Cobb County Commissioners would come to agreement on each other’s roles in the project. Ed Richardson, Chairman of the South Cobb Redevelopment Authority, has stated that an oversight committee consisting of business and property owners would be needed to assist in identifying suitable projects for redevelopment.
The Six Flags Special Services District would allow for necessary growth in South Cobb, and Council For Quality growth supports this proposal not just for the development of South Cobb, but for the County as a whole.