Cobb County voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to renew a one-cent sales tax projected to raise $1.15 billion over six years. The Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or SPLOST, renewal would fund roads, parks and public buildings, including several East Cobb projects.
The tax would replace the current program when it expires at the end of 2027. If approved, collections would run from Jan. 1, 2028, through Dec. 31, 2033, and the county's total sales tax rate would stay at 6%, tied with Gwinnett for the lowest in the state, according to the county's Cobbline newsletter.
The Cobb County Board of Commissioners, led by Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, approved the 2028 SPLOST project list at its April 28 meeting. The Marietta Daily Journal first reported the full per-jurisdiction breakdown Saturday as part of a nine-part series on the referendum. The official county booklet projects total collections at $1.2 billion; county presentations and the MDJ use a $1.15 billion estimate.
Where the money goes
Of the projected total, roughly $794.5 million would fund county projects. The remaining $355.5 million would be split among Cobb's seven cities based on U.S. Census Bureau population estimates, according to Marietta Daily Journal reporting on county education sessions:
- Mableton: $97.1 million
- Marietta: $78.2 million
- Smyrna: $70.9 million
- Kennesaw: $46.8 million
- Acworth: $28 million
- Powder Springs: $24.3 million
- Austell: $10.2 million
East Cobb projects on the list
Because East Cobb is unincorporated, its projects fall under the county's $794.5 million share. The official SPLOST 2028 booklet lists a new East Cobb Library, Tritt Park construction, Johnson Ferry Road corridor improvements, a Lower Roswell Road and Old Paper Mill Road intersection upgrade, Hyde Farm renovation with a dock addition, and Shallowford Road at McPherson Road intersection improvements.
Countywide, the biggest ticket items include $174 million for a new State Court building, $130.1 million for road resurfacing, $91.9 million for park renovations and a new Central Aquatic Center, $60 million for a new jail infirmary building, and $8.2 million to expand the Tim D. Lee Senior Center.
Current SPLOST outpaced projections
The tax has a track record. The current SPLOST, which began collections in 2022, was projected to generate $750 million through 2027. A county report issued in May showed it had already brought in roughly $928.8 million.
Austell Mayor Ollie Clemons said during the county's initial renewal planning meetings that SPLOST is critical for his city, which has the smallest budget in the county, especially for aging infrastructure and parks. Kennesaw Mayor Derek Easterling called the renewal a follow-up to the 2022 program and said city leaders hope to do even more with it, according to the county's SPLOST information page.
How to vote
Advance in-person voting begins Tuesday, Oct. 13, and runs through Friday, Oct. 30. There is no voting Oct. 31 through Nov. 2. On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at assigned locations.
The county is still holding education sessions through October. The next is Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Milford Recreation Center, 675 Smyrna Powder Springs Road, Marietta. Additional sessions are scheduled Oct. 15 at West Cobb Senior Center in Powder Springs and Oct. 27 at the David Hankerson Building in Marietta. Residents can also email questions to [email protected].
