MABLETON, Ga. — The City of Mableton held a town hall meeting on Monday night to discuss a proposal to break away from Cobb County’s police service agreement.
“The bottom line is how much does it cost,” said one resident who spoke, Corey Jiggetts.
He and some of his neighbors were not immediately sold on the idea of separating Mableton from Cobb County Police Department.
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However, the service contract Mayor Michael Owens signed Monday will end May 31, 2027.
“I’m happy we were able to get to this agreement,” said Owens.
The contract agreement was behind deadline because Owens wanted to change a portion of the contract. He wanted Mableton’s Municipal Court to handle certain city ordinance violations instead of the state or county court system.
“The sooner we can get on the same page and stop looking at each other adversarial and look at each other as partners, the more reflective it will be of us having a good relationship moving forward,” Cobb County Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said.
She said while Mableton stands itself up to have its own public safety unit, the partnership will last far beyond any one-year agreement.
Mayor Owens said council wants Mableton to have a public safety division, not just a police force.
“More than just law enforcement,” said Owens. “It covers emergency management preparedness, code enforcement, community outreach, technology support and municipal court coordination.”
City Council said at a recent meeting that Mableton would have to establish a special service division tax to pay for that.
Right now, Mayor Owens said the estimated about of that millage rate would be 4.5.
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That rate would mean the owner of a home worth $350,000 would pay the city an extra $630 a year.
The mayor said council expects to confirm the millage rate at the next meeting.
He said council wants to ensure specific carveouts for seniors and veterans with 100% disability.
The Mayor said studies have shown this plan to be more cost-effective than paying Cobb County $22 million a year for police patrols.
“The City of Mableton deserves to stand on its own,” said Owens.
Residents at the town hall meeting said they want Cobb County and Mableton data that will help them evaluate the options.
“So, what I implore upon you and this council is to commit yourselves to delivering that to us on paper so that we see what it was we were getting, we were paying, and what we are about to invest in,” said Jiggetts.
Mayor Owens said the city is still reviewing what it means to have a full-service public safety division and it is working to build a reliable funding strategy while deciding which services the city should outsource to the county.
He said he plans to provide data on the current state of public safety in Mableton, and he wants residents to fill out a survey that can help moving forward.
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