The Mableton Review

09/05/2026

WHY VOTE FOR YASHICA MARSHALL?

Mableton residents deserve a representative who listens to their voice regarding the future of their city. Incumbent Terry Cummings has publicly stated she will not support legislation that gives voters the opportunity to re-vote on Mableton’s cityhood.

Yashica Marshall believes the choice belongs to the citizens. She has promised to draft and support legislation granting Mableton residents a re-vote on cityhood bringing voters one step closer to the goal of dissolution.

Because Terry Cummings is running unopposed on the printed ballot, writing in Yashica Marshall for Georgia State House District 39 is the only way to demand a vote on Mableton's future.

HOW TO VOTE FOR YASHICA MARSHALL

Yashica Marshall is an official write-in candidate, meaning her name will NOT be printed on the ballot.

You must intentionally write her name in.
Voting In Person (Touchscreen)

Find Georgia State House — District 39 on the screen.

Select WRITE-IN.

Type the name: YASHICA MARSHALL

Follow the screen prompts to review and cast your ballot.

Voting by Paper / Absentee Ballot

Find Georgia State House — District 39 on your paper ballot.

Locate the WRITE-IN line.

Fill in the oval next to WRITE-IN.

Clearly write: YASHICA MARSHALL

Return your ballot according to the included instructions.

QUICK RECAP
In Person: Select Write-In ➡️ Type YASHICA MARSHALL ➡️ Cast Ballot

Paper Ballot: Fill Oval ➡️ Write YASHICA MARSHALL ➡️ Cast Ballot

Her name won’t be on the ballot—you have to put it there.

Share this guide with District 39 voters so they know how to make their voices heard before entering the voting booth!

09/03/2026

Drafted by: Darryl Duling

Is Mableton Trying to Become a Bigger Pond Than Its Residents Asked For?

I’m currently reading Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath, and his discussion of the “big-fish–little-pond effect” made me think differently about what is happening in Mableton.

Bigger is not automatically better.

A larger institution may offer more resources, recognition, and ambition—but it can also create more bureaucracy, expense, and distance between the institution and the people it is supposed to serve.

That raises an important question:

Are residents being required to finance City Hall’s ambition to become a “big pond” when many people either voted against cityhood, did not vote in the referendum, did not realize they were included within the proposed boundaries, or believed Mableton would remain a limited “city-lite” government?

Look at the direction we appear to be heading:

A possible municipal police department
A municipal court and related technology
A public-safety millage
Redevelopment powers
Additional government infrastructure
Highly polished public relations and city-sponsored events

Each proposal may be defended individually. But residents are not experiencing them individually. We are watching them accumulate into a much larger vision of city government.

That may help explain the outrage, tax resistance, and calls to dissolve the city. Residents are not necessarily opposed to Mableton succeeding. They may simply define success differently.

City leadership may see success as building a more powerful, visible, full-service city.

Many residents may see success as efficient services, reasonable taxes, clear communication, limited government, and greater control over decisions affecting their households.

And we cannot dismiss the people who did not vote for cityhood simply because the referendum passed. Once established, the city gained authority over every household within its boundaries—not only those that voted yes. Those residents must also pay the taxes and live with the long-term consequences.

Winning an election provides the legal authority to govern. It does not eliminate the responsibility to listen to those who opposed the proposal, misunderstood its scope, or never knowingly supported this level of expansion.

That is not resistance to progress. It is a legitimate disagreement over the size of the pond.

The timelines we have examined suggest that significant planning and expansion were already moving forward. Therefore, the question is no longer simply, “What did City Hall know, and when did it know it?”

The deeper question is:

Did Mableton’s residents ever knowingly consent to this level of ambition—or are many now being required to live in and finance a much bigger pond than the one presented to voters?

Sometimes the best government is not the biggest government it can become.

Sometimes it is the government that remembers it also represents the people who never asked for it.

08/26/2026

Created by: Darryl Duling

MABLETON HAS A PATH TO THE CAPITOL—DO DISTRICT 39 RESIDENTS HAVE ONE TOO?

John Maxwell’s Law of Solid Ground teaches that trust is the foundation of leadership. That principle applies not only to Mableton City Hall, but also to District 39’s representation in the Georgia General Assembly.

Our recent discussion began with a straightforward question: Was an independent Mableton Police Department truly Plan B?

The documented timeline shows that before negotiations with Cobb County concluded, Mableton had already created a public-safety funding structure, requested a police feasibility study, pursued technology-fee authority, included public-safety positions in its proposed budget and prepared for a 4.5-mill Public Safety Special Service District rate.

That timeline revealed another path worth examining: how Mableton’s priorities travel from City Hall to the State Capitol.

When Mableton’s elected officials request local legislation, District 39’s state representative can help convert those requests into law. That appears to be what happened with legislation authorizing technology-fee revenue for Mableton Municipal Court and a future city police department. State-level support has also helped place redevelopment powers before voters.

That raises a larger question:

**Does District 39 representation independently scrutinize City Hall’s requests—or merely provide a legislative pathway for the city’s agenda?**

A state representative should consider requests from local elected officials. However, representation should involve more than carrying those requests forward. It should also include:

* Evaluating the financial consequences for residents
* Questioning whether sufficient studies have been completed
* Examining whether services and taxes could overlap
* Listening to residents who oppose additional government expansion
* Pursuing protections such as meaningful senior-tax relief
* Explaining how proposed legislation benefits the entire district

This matters because residents do not experience these measures as words printed in a bill. Residents experience them as new government authority, potential fees, property-tax obligations and long-term public-safety costs.

Meanwhile, many residents continue asking why their concerns have not received the same legislative urgency. If City Hall can obtain assistance with technology-fee and redevelopment legislation, can residents obtain equally determined representation when requesting senior relief, greater transparency or a lawful reconsideration of cityhood?

This is not about assuming improper motives. It is about following the public decision-making path:

**City Hall develops a priority.
District 39 provides access to the Legislature.
The Legislature authorizes the mechanism.
Residents live with and finance the outcome.**

At every step, someone should be asking whether the proposal is necessary, affordable, properly studied and supported by the people it will affect.

Mableton clearly has a path to the Capitol.

**The question is whether District 39 residents—especially those who disagree with City Hall—have an equally effective path to being heard.**

08/25/2026

https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/petition-seeks-path-dissolve-city-mableton.amp

A Mableton resident has launched a petition calling on Georgia lawmakers to explore legislation that could dissolve the city.

08/23/2026

BOTH TRANSPARENT (BUT THERE’S A DIFFERENCE.)

Terry Cummings has been transparent. She will not support giving Mableton voters another vote on cityhood.

I’ll be just as transparent:

I don’t necessarily support dissolving Mableton.

But I 100% support INFORMED VOTING and I support giving the people who live with the consequences the opportunity to decide what is best for their community.

We have both been transparent and have told you exactly where we stand.

Her answer is NO.
My answer is: LET THE VOTERS DECIDE.

Because my job as your representative isn’t to make your decision for you.

It’s to make sure YOU have a voice in making it.

08/21/2026

Hi all if you would like to follow my political page you can do so by clicking on the following link:

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Bpk5pFbsW/?mibextid=wwXIfr

08/19/2026

Published by Yashica Marshall:

After a lot of thought and conversations with many residents, I have decided to run in the upcoming General Election as a write-in candidate for our State House District 39 seat against Terry Cummings. I want to share directly with you why I’m taking this step.

This isn’t about personal attacks, it’s about representation. Recently, Rep. Cummings indicated that she is unwilling to bring forward legislation that would allow Mableton residents to have a re-vote or consider the dissolution of the Mableton city charter. Whether she personally agrees with a re-vote or not, her job is to represent all of the residents within her district. By refusing to allow all residents to have a say in our own city's future, she has shown that she is unwilling to let certain voices be heard. I am running to give the unrepresented a say.

We also need to look closely at what is and isn't being prioritized at the city and state level. Rep. Cummings made sure to sponsor the Technology Fee Bill and the Redevelopment Bill the city of Mableton’s elected asked her to sponsor but she completely failed to put forth a bill requesting a senior exemption for the Public Safety Special Service District pending millage.

A few weeks ago, at the public hearing to adopt a 4.5 millage rate, I saw something that perfectly captured the problem with our current leadership. The room was packed, and several of our senior citizens were forced to stand against the wall. But the moment Terry Cummings walked into the room, Mayor Michael Owens jumped right up to give her a seat.

It was a quiet moment, but it spoke volumes. It is a perfect example of how she and Michael Owens are not willing to give residents a real seat at the table, because they only care about making sure they are comfortable. As a senior herself, Terry should be the first one fighting for the seniors in our community who are worried about keeping their homes. Instead, she has chosen to sit at the table with the elected instead of standing with those who elected her, the very people who need her advocacy the most.

I believe true representation means standing up for your neighbors, fighting for the vulnerable, and letting informed voters decide the direction of their community. I would be honored to earn your write-in vote so we can finally bring true, responsive representation back to District 39.

Thank you for reading, and I look forward to continuing the conversation with you all.

08/03/2026

A lot of you received a notice from the City of Mableton today providing notice of your pending tax obligation, specifically for the City of Mableton. The FMV example has seemingly left some residents confused so
I wanted to provide an overview in hopes I can alleviate some of the confusion.

What is this notice for?

The notice from the City of Mableton introduces a new tax that will go towards funding police and other named public safety services within the city limits. It’s called the Mableton Public Safety Special Services District (PSSSD).

2. Why the example on the notice is confusing

The notice uses a Fair Market Value (FMV) of $100,000 as an example. For that value, the tax would only be $180.00.

However, very few homes in Mableton are worth only $100,000. According to current real estate data, the estimated median home value for Mableton is closer to $360,000. Using the lower example makes the new tax bill look much smaller than what most homeowners will actually have to pay.

3. Let's use a real-world example

To understand a typical tax bill, we should use a realistic property value for Mableton. Let’s calculate the bill for a house with an FMV of $360,000.

The Real-World Tax Calculation: How to Calculate It (Formula)

What It Equals

A. Fair Market Value (FMV) This is an estimated price your home would sell for. $360,000 (A realistic median value)

B. Assessed Value Georgia only taxes 40% of your home's total value. $360,000 × 0.40 =$144,000.00

C. Millage Rate The new tax rate. It is fixed at 4.50 mills. (4.50 ÷ 1,000)=0.0045

Your New City Tax Bill Multiply the Assessed Value by the Millage Rate.

$144,000 × 0.0045=$648.00

4. Why there are no discounts on this notice:

This is the most critical point to understand. Many homeowners have a Homestead Exemption, which is a special discount that lowers the taxes they pay to Cobb County.

The City of Mableton has confirmed that Cobb County Homestead Exemptions do not apply to this new city tax bill.

This means that even if you have an exemption that lowers your county taxes, you must still pay the full 4.50 mills on your home's entire assessed value to the city.

Final Summary

City Example: For a $100,000 home, the bill is $180.00.

Typical Reality: For a median-valued Mableton home ($360,000), the actual bill is $648.00.

This tax will be billed separately from your county taxes for the first year. The first bills are scheduled to be mailed in October 2026 and due by Dec. 1, 2026.

07/19/2026

Tomorrow is the last day for you to file an appeal of your property tax assessment and the last day to file for the Homestead Exemption.

If you are not currently enrolled in the Homestead Exemption or you qualify for the Senior School Tax Exemption ( age 62+) you have until tomorrow, July 20th to enroll. SB 566 extended the Homestead application deadline up to the end of the 45-day window for appealing your Notice of Assessment.

Enrolling in the Homestead Exemption can save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars every year in property taxes.

The Homestead Exemption will lower your property’s taxable value if it is your primary residence.

The Senior Exemption will exempt eligible seniors from the school tax portion of their bill.

You can apply by going to cobbtax.gov

Let’s make sure we look out for each other by providing information that helps!

07/15/2026

Author: Joe Peluso

"Hey readers of The Mableton Review!

We're excited to share that the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta through their Green Tie Guy Campaign have raised over $3,000 to support Girl Scouts in our area! The catch... EACH Green Tie Guy is trying to raise $3,000... So we need your help!

This is my first time leading a fundraiser and $3,000 is an ambitious goal but its for a good cause! The money will support opportunities that help girls develop the courage, confidence, character, and leadership skills to make a difference in their communities.

As the father of a young son, I am ALL IN about the kind of community and world we are building for the next generation. Strong communities need confident, capable young people who are encouraged to lead, serve, explore new interests, and believe in what they can accomplish. Girl Scouts helps create those opportunities for thousands of girls throughout metro Atlanta.

I'm currently sitting in 5th place and as a contributor to The Mableton Review.. I wouldn't mind you donating through my page (my face is at the bottom of the page)... but no matter who you donate to please consider donating!

I would be grateful for your help reaching our goal. A donation of $10, $25, or whatever feels right can help provide leadership programs, STEM experiences, outdoor adventures, and financial assistance so more girls can participate.

You can donate here:
https://give.girlscoutsatl.org/campaign/green-tie-guys-2026/c794954

And even if donating isn’t possible right now, sharing this post would mean a lot and could help me reach someone who would like to support the mission!

Also a big shout out to Abby for getting me started (Thank you!) and thank you to everyone who helps us move one green tie closer to the $55,000 goal!"

Support our Green Tie Guys as they raise funds to empower the next generation of leaders!