05/27/2026
MARIETTA — Cobb County commissioners approved service agreements with the city of Mableton that will, pending approval from the Mableton City Council, see the city pay more than $15 million over the next year for law enforcement and transportation services.
The agreement calls for Mableton to pay $13 million and $2.65 million over the next year for the county to provide it with law enforcement and transportation services, respectively.
Officials and attorneys representing Cobb and Mableton reached an agreement Friday, after nearly 10 hours of closed-door meetings, to end a more than year-long effort to bring the city, which incorporated in May 2023, into Cobb’s Service Delivery Strategy (SDS) agreement. The SDS agreement outlines what services the county and each of its cities provide to citizens.
The Cobb Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to give its final stamp of approval on four agreements — three of which are part of the amended SDS and relate to law enforcement, transportation and stormwater.
The fourth agreement resolves responsibility for roughly $4 million in remaining obligations tied to redevelopment bonds issued for projects in the Six Flags area.
The agreements must now be approved by the Mableton City Council, which is scheduled to meet Wednesday, in order to be finalized.
County Attorney Debbie Blair noted the verbiage in the agreements may change as attorneys go back and forth, but the terms agreed to in mediation will not change.
Commissioner Monique Sheffield, who represents south Cobb, thanked staff and officials from both parties for their hard work over the last two years.
“It has been a long road,” she said during Tuesday's meeting. “This has been a new experience for both the city and the county, and some growing pains along the way, but we were able to get through them.”
She also thanked the residents of Mableton.
“They have been vocal, they have been very engaged in reaching out to me, to the county, for answers to their questions,” Sheffield said. “So thank you for being a part of the process. I’m glad that we’re finally at this point, and look forward to a healthy, productive relationship with Mableton as they come online as Cobb County’s newest and largest city.”
Agreement context
Under state law, newly incorporated cities have two years to reach an agreement regarding services with the county. SDS agreements between local governments are required to ensure residents are not subject to "double taxation" to fund duplicate services. Mableton and Cobb were unable to come to a deal in May 2025, and instead signed a one-year deal that would allow the city to continue using the Cobb County Police Department and other county services.
Following last week’s mediation, new terms were agreed to allow the county to continue providing law enforcement services for one year as well as stormwater and transportation services through Oct. 31, 2034.
The arrangement ensuring police services is only temporary for the next year and cannot be extended, according to the written agreement. Both parties would need to formally approve a new agreement to continue those services.
Under Mableton’s "city-lite" model, the city doesn’t levy a millage rate and provides just three services: planning and zoning, code enforcement and sustainability. The city continues to rely on the county to provide other services, most notably law enforcement.
In December 2025, the Mableton City Council approved the creation of a citywide public safety special service district, which allows the city to levy a tax to pay for public safety services. The district is estimated to collect $21 million in revenue. A millage rate has not been set.
The one-year deal between Cobb and Mableton was set to expire at the end of the month. If Cobb and Mableton didn’t reach a new deal, the county and all seven of its cities — Acworth, Austell, Kennesaw, Mableton, Marietta, Powder Springs and Smyrna — would have faced state sanctions cutting off permitting and grant funding for critical services like infrastructure and public safety.
Police Services
Mableton would have also lost law enforcement services, which are provided by Cobb Police.
From June 1 through May 31, 2027, Mableton is expected to pay $13 million for law enforcement services provided by the county.
Of that, $3 million will be paid on or before Dec. 31, with the remainder in 12 monthly installments beginning Jan. 15 of next year. Payments received more than 30 days after the 15th of each month shall accrue interest at the rate of 7% per annum. Should the city fail to make two consecutive payments, a termination notice will be issued and the agreement will be terminated within six months.
The city will also pay a rate of 72.5 cents per mile — the current federal mileage rate — for the transport of any inmates charged with violating a city ordinance to a jail located outside of Mableton or the city of Marietta.
The agreement will still require Mableton to pay $9.5 million to the county for the last year of police services, with $3 million due at the end of the month and the remaining money due Dec. 31.
Transportation, stormwater
The Board of Commissioners also approved an agreement with the city over transportation, road maintenance and street light district management services. Per the agreement, the city agrees to pay $2.65 million, or $220,679 a month, in the first year for routine transportation and road maintenance services.
The agreement says the compensation for services will be adjusted annually each June 1 based on a three-year rolling average of the actual changes in transportation service costs for Mableton.
It's also contingent upon Mableton allocating a minimum of $27.9 million from its portion of the proposed 2028 SPLOST program for infrastructure preservation and transportation projects, with the county retaining the right to terminate the agreement if that funding is not provided.
Since public transportation is funded with grant revenues, fare revenue and the county’s general fund, and because transit is offered as a countywide service through CobbLinc, the city will not have to pay for public transportation services under the agreement.
The parties also agreed that Cobb County will continue providing stormwater management services within the city, including stormwater system maintenance, plan reviews and water quality monitoring.
Under the deal, Mableton agreed to the Cobb Water System charging property owners in the city a stormwater fee in the same way fees are charged in unincorporated Cobb.
Outstanding bond agreement
Cobb and Mableton also reached an agreement related to redevelopment bonds issued for projects in the Six Flags Area Special Services District.
In 2015, the Mableton Development Authority — then known as the South Cobb Redevelopment Authority — issued $10 million in bonds to help fund redevelopment projects in the district. The county agreed at the time to use special district tax revenues to make the bond payments.
Now that the entire district falls within Mableton’s city limits, state law no longer allows Cobb County to collect that special district tax. Mableton created its own special services district and began collecting the tax last year.
Before the transition period ended, the county used excess tax collections to pay down part of the outstanding bonds and set aside money for future payments, reducing the annual amount owed through 2031 to about $123,000.
Under the new agreement, Mableton will reimburse Cobb for the remaining bond obligations, which total about $4 million.
Moving forward
Several Cobb officials, including Chair Lisa Cupid, couldn’t help but express joy following Tuesday’s approval.
“I'm very pleased as we move forward with … our newest city that's here in the county, and I believe that if we can get through the many difficult moments that we've had, just even getting us to this point, that there are even greater things for us to accomplish moving forward,” Cupid said. “So let's just keep our eyes on the prize, and I know that our best days in this county are still ahead of us.”
Earlier in the night, she shared a statement on behalf of the board regarding Friday’s mediation process, which she called “productive” and said “resulted in a mutually beneficial path forward for both governments” and the residents they serve.
“This agreement provides stability, avoids disruptions to public safety and essential services as Mableton moves forward,” Cupid said. “... While the agreement still requires formal approval by both governing bodies, I am encouraged by the collaborative spirit shown throughout this process, and I am optimistic about moving forward together in the best interest of all Cobb County residents.”
To Mableton Mayor Michael Owens, the agreements “represent the culmination of more than a year of negotiations focused on ensuring stability, continuity and long-term collaboration for our residents.”
"Most importantly, these agreements ensure that public safety services will continue uninterrupted as Mableton progresses,” he said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon. “The negotiations were not always easy, but throughout this process our administration remained focused on one thing: protecting the best interests of the people of Mableton.”
Owens expressed his appreciation for the “willingness of both parties to come together in good faith, make necessary compromises and work toward a solution that avoids future uncertainty.”
“These agreements create a clearer path forward and help position our city for continued growth, stability, and investment,” he said.
“... Mableton continues to move forward.”
MARIETTA — Cobb County commissioners approved service agreements with the city of Mableton that will, pending approval from the Mableton City Council, see the city pay more than $15 million
