Politics & Government

VIDEO: Cobb Residents Sound Off on TSPLOST

Many residents attending a Tuesday town-hall meeting were skeptical that the regional sales tax would benefit them. A transportation town-hall meeting hosted by Sen. Doug Stoner and Austell Rep. David Wilkerson is set for Thursday.

A strong majority of East Cobb residents attending a town-hall meeting Tuesday about next year's Atlanta regional transportation SPLOST referendum said they oppose the penny sales tax. 

Many told state lawmakers at the hearing, moderated by state Sen. Judson Hill (R-East Cobb), that they doubt the nearly $1.2 billion collected for Cobb projects over 10 years would benefit them.

On Thursday night at Smyrna’s there will be another open forum to discuss the various initiatives and projects within the proposed transportation project list.

Find out what's happening in South Cobbwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

, which will be hosted by Sen. Doug Stoner (D-Smyrna) and Representatives David Wilkerson (D-Austell) and Stacey Evans (D-Smyrna), will be from at 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the park located at 3180 Atlanta Road.

Wilkerson told South Cobb Patch that the representatives are holding the forum "to get a better understanding of this as well."

Find out what's happening in South Cobbwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

He said "to say it (the proposed transportation project list) has nothing to do with economic development is short-sighted," and he would like to find out "what's in it for the people in my area." Currently no projects on the list are in the Austell area.

Since the current transportation project list is not yet final, Wilkerson said, "This is the time to start lobbying for specific projects...Now it's the community's chance and our chance to get input."

On Tuesday, East Cobbers were especially scornful of the proposed $856 million that would connect the Arts Center MARTA station in Midtown Atlanta with the Cumberland area, the first phase of a projected long-term Northwest Corridor transit plan that would reach Acworth. 

Only one road project on the current recommendation list is in East Cobb, and some citizens questioned the need for that $26 million expense. Like East Cobb, the only project on the current draft of the transportation projects list is in Mableton.

However, some East Cobb citizens expressed support for the TSPLOST, which would collect an estimated $6.14 billion for projects across a 10-county metro Atlanta area if voters approve it in July. 

One of those citizens was East Cobb Patch Local Voices blogger Mike Holzknecht, who reiterated concerns he made in a blog post over the weekend that Atlanta is squandering its role as a Southern regional transportation leader. 

The final deadline for projects that will be placed before voters is Oct. 15, and two more TSPLOST hearings are scheduled in Cobb on Thursday.

Here's The Marietta Daily Journal's story from Tuesday's meeting.


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