[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6178024,"mediaKeyId","5329970-6552de4bc406bca01f5857db926b5b86","parentId",5329970,"title","Commissioners approve multiple DOT contracts, traffic signal replacements and a $3.31 million network modernization contract","audioSeconds",292,"startMs",5973000,"endMs",6265000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5329970-6552de4bc406bca01f5857db926b5b86&start=5973&end=6265","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5329970-6552de4bc406bca01f5857db926b5b86/thumbnail_5973000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6178024/Cobb-County/Georgia/Commissioners-approve-multiple-DOT-contracts-traffic-signal-replacements-and-a-331-million-network-modernization-contract","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6178024-e1e20510386c185dc3bc50e2180cf9c5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770846763&Signature=KDlur9BNoA~8obmv4Z8oJWVL5FXAYi-sqZq4ZWVcp~4z8j3TqPCGui3oliWvC-lvW7Nhf3zt16Z-CximsidenohPk1urAl9J8q-4CcBox~EwtEytl0HRyOMr0ws5d3m-WHBn799h3F--xZABT-Quz3BpfH75uxDxmXMLSuTPkJPJoSJskqBFJwdqapeP5-eMPZKAEWn8-5M20CfCLNELN7dkokv0llfvaWFbx7t~PqIk6dJkanM66rKFMhRC-v97ecZfPaMq5~xkvM4-PKLndZ44isdNm8hKle~hgAczitC3~2JTSzC9hKgz9ON6tZKhJL2s8iI8mSmN3aN79O~MNA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-07-08T18:19:12Z","article","The Cobb County Board of Commissioners approved several Department of Transportation contracts and an Information Technology Services contract during its July 8 meeting, voting unanimously on each item.

Drew Ressler, DOT director, presented seven items from the department. Key vendor contracts approved included a not-to-exceed $995,561.60 contract with Backbone Infrastructure LLC for the Shallowford Road at Gordy Parkway West project (project B2306); a $97,459.51 contract with Chatfield Contracting Inc. for drainage repairs on Aspen Woodcore (B22145); and a $179,684 contract with Advanced Road Construction LLC for drainage repairs on Stonywood Circle (B22170).

The board also approved a $684,960 contract with Smart Road Technology LLC to replace damaged traffic-signal poles at 11 locations (B2593), amendment number one to an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Acworth for the Nance Road and Acworth Due West Road traffic study (B2548), and memoranda and framework agreements with the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Town Center Community Improvement District for preliminary engineering on Big Shaney Road (B2431) and the George Busby Parkway Corridor Trail (B2438). Each motion authorized corresponding budget transactions and allowed the board chair to execute necessary documents.

Separately, Information Technology Services presented a joint item with DOT: a five‑year contract with CenturyLink Communications LLC for a comprehensive enterprise network assessment and modernization of the county’s enterprise network and traffic-management network. That contract was authorized in an amount not to exceed $3,311,078 and will be partially funded through the county’s 2022 SPLOST allocation (project B0020).

All motions on these items passed on voice votes recorded in the meeting as 4-0, with commissioners repeatedly moving and seconding approval for each contract. Commissioners stressing standard procurement oversight clarified that the authorizations included related budget transactions and execution authority for the chair.

These approvals move forward multiple capital and maintenance projects intended to repair drainage and replace traffic-signal infrastructure and to update the county’s network infrastructure. Contract awards and project framework agreements with the Georgia Department of Transportation position the county to proceed with preliminary engineering on two corridor projects and to coordinate funding and design with GDOT and the Town Center CID.

The board did not discuss substantive changes to project scopes during the meeting; the approvals are consistent with staff recommendations and the county’s ongoing capital and maintenance plans.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Cobb County Board of Commissioners Meeting - 07/08/25","oneSentenceSummary","On July 8 the board approved a slate of Department of Transportation contracts for drainage, road work and traffic-signal pole replacements and authorized a five-year, up-to-$3.31 million contract with CenturyLink for an enterprise and traffic-network modernization assessment.","taxTitle","Cobb County, Georgia","taxId",3733,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6178029,"Cobb commissioners open millage and budget hearings; county proposes flat general fund rate, trims fire contingency and faces questions over water fee transfers",1057,1265000,2322000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5329970-6552de4bc406bca01f5857db926b5b86&start=1265&end=2322","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5329970-6552de4bc406bca01f5857db926b5b86/thumbnail_1265000.jpg","/articles/6178029/Cobb-County/Georgia/Cobb-commissioners-open-millage-and-budget-hearings-county-proposes-flat-general-fund-rate-trims-fire-contingency-and-faces-questions-over-water-fee-transfers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6178029-043c73703187ef8fb449b02c6002aa2a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770846763&Signature=Olyg5HGh5EdhXobRcwE3z5fIO--Pi3KjT6QRkdBNR1sv~j6XJ-lXM9CsN1gZvfnb5wbIpIcWmX-QrjS9KkKmGal4Ubw9CPljGlxWb64TF5Dy8BX52b8axcNZACsYqHwTS5XrCus2duyAlleu7tEC~2poMjLqIPrjFJI2WNFzu1YlM2iA6u6-9ywMiGyvc8TYMhqc5KL2VLPFtjHUD-L-9EjG72IkCUlRhGQNg68BcWYb~g~06oygty4jAhZ7s0z21bqhY6Z-bq~HNsT4h8mdvUTGvF4nx8Iz-x~X3CLuhAlSHNCKNZueiMBowFXMY6~b-gFuZ5PG7SGElNau8nY4Bg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cobb County opened the first of three public hearings on the 2025 millage rate and budget on July 8, 2025, where Deputy CFO Buddy Tessa presented proposed millage rates and budget highlights and the board took public comment on water-fee transfers and other budget items.

The county is proposing to keep the general fund millage flat at 8.46 mills, to reduce the Cobb County Fire Fund millage by 0.02 mills (about $1 million), and to keep the Cumberland Special Service District millage flat at 2.45 mills. The six-flags special service district will no longer be assessed because of the creation of Mableton. The county reported a net digest increase of 3.39 percent for 2025, down from prior years’ stronger growth.

Why it matters: the millage and budget determine property tax bills and how departments are funded. At the hearing, residents raised concerns about the county’s practice of transferring water-fee revenue to other funds, and commissioners and finance staff described efforts to slow growth in some funds while protecting service levels.

Buddy Tessa, deputy chief financial officer, walked the board and members of the public through the proposed millage structure and a sample homeowner illustration meant to show the effect of the floating homestead exemption. In his example, the general fund portion of a homeowner’s bill remained roughly $609 under the county’s proposed 8.46 mills; without the county’s floating homestead exemption that portion would have been roughly $1,447.64 in the example shown.

During public comment, resident Tracy Stevenson questioned the math behind recent water-rate changes and the county’s water-fee transfer. “That means that extra money just in the water fund fee — I mean, the $8 per month — that covers the transfer as well as the overage or thereabouts within a million dollars. So then we’ve got that 7% water increase already. Can you square the circle for me? None of that makes sense to me,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson and other speakers told commissioners they want water-fee revenue kept for water and stormwater infrastructure rather than used to fill other budget gaps. Several speakers said the transfer is regressive because low-income households pay the same flat fees.

CFO Bill Volkmann and other county leaders answered questions about the transfer and broader budget. Volkmann said the county has been working to reduce the water transfer annually and that it remains the board’s stated goal to get the transfer to zero. Volkmann also outlined budget drivers: a $48 million net increase in the county budget compared with the prior presentation (reduced from a prior $49 million figure), about $11.4 million of which is higher water operations costs (water purchases, chemicals, electricity and gas). He said the budget includes a personnel roster update that increased costs by about $12.3 million because previously vacant, board‑approved positions were filled; a proposed 2 percent pay-scale adjustment/COLA costing roughly $8.6 million; and an increase in the county’s claims fund of about $5.9 million to cover health/worker-comp costs.

On the fire fund change: Volkmann said the 0.02-mill reduction is meant to slow rapid fund-balance growth, not to reduce operations. “We are not proposing to cut any fire operations,” Volkmann told the board. He said the board met with fire leadership, that fire’s personnel and capital requests are fully funded in the proposal, and that the fire fund will retain roughly $11 million in contingency. Volkmann noted the fire fund’s unassigned fund balance grew from about $35 million in 2018 to about $107 million in 2024 after earlier board decisions to improve cash balances.

Commissioners and staff also reiterated the hearing schedule and next steps. This first hearing was informational; the county plans a second hearing on July 16 and a final public hearing and formal adoption of the millage and budget at the July 22 board meeting.

The hearing included a mix of praise for county staff and critical public comments. Speakers asked for clearer online tools and transparency about where fee and tax revenue are spent. County staff said the presentation materials and the full budget will be posted online and that staff are available to meet individually with residents and commissioners about specific questions.

The board took no final vote on the millage or the budget at this meeting; the hearings continue through July and the board will vote during the scheduled adoption meeting.","At a July 8 public hearing, Cobb County officials presented the proposed 2025 millage rates and budget changes — including a proposal to keep the general fund millage flat at 8.46 mills and to reduce the fire fund millage by 0.02 mills — and heard public concerns about the county’s transfer of water-fee revenue to the general fund.","actionData","errors"]

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Commissioners approve multiple DOT contracts, traffic signal replacements and a $3.31 million network modernization contract

Cobb commissioners open millage and budget hearings; county proposes flat general fund rate, trims fire contingency and faces questions over water fee transfers