Mableton moves forward with police department despite criticism

• But many residents have said they are happy with the Cobb County Police Department patrolling Mableton, located west of Atlanta.
• It also signifies Mableton's shift from the "city-lite" form of government residents said they thought they would have if they incorporated.

The latest: The Mableton City Council voted Monday to establish a 4.5 millage rate to fund its own public safety division. The rate would be applied like a property tax, but revenue generated from the millage rate would only be used for public safety.

Zoom in: City leaders estimate the rate would generate the $21 million needed to start its own police department.

• "Instead of collecting the money and giving it over to the county, I think if we're going to spend that kind of money, we might as well have control," said City Manager William "Bill" Tanks.

What they're saying: Several residents spoke out against the new tax rate, noting many of their neighbors are on fixed incomes and may struggle to pay the annual tax, which is about $630 on a home valued at $300,000.

• Residents also said they don't think $21 million would be enough to start a police department and called on the city to slow down the process.
• "Mableton was built on a city-lite model, and now here we are, three years later, going into full-service mode," one resident said.
• Debora Herndon, the only council member to vote against the tax rate, said she understands the desire for Mableton to create its own police department, but "to do it with our backs against the wall and in such a short period of time ... is a disservice to our citizens here."

Between the lines: Mableton has not discussed whether a fire department would be part of its new public safety division.

Flashback: Voters in November 2022 approved incorporating Mableton, which has nearly 80,000 residents.

• Mableton was touted as a "city-lite" form of government, meaning it would only provide a few, smaller-lift services and rely on the county for meatier services like public safety, stormwater and road maintenance.
• Cobb County would continue providing the more costly services like police, fire and public works.

Friction point: When Mableton and Cobb County began negotiating its intergovernmental agreement earlier this year, the city halted the process because it wanted citations issued by Cobb police to be funneled through its Municipal Court.

• "We felt that any municipal court revenue should stay in the city of Mableton, and that was something we were unwavering on," Mayor Michael Owens said at a town hall meeting last month.
• State law says municipal courts shall have jurisdiction over traffic offenses that happen in their cities — except in counties like Cobb, where a state court has that authority.
• The county said in a statement that change would be impossible to implement, and the contract expired on May 31.
• With no agreement, the Cobb County Sheriff's Office had to deputize Cobb police officers so they could continue patrolling the city.
• Both parties eventually signed the agreement, which Cobb County said was largely unchanged, and it went into effect on June 15.

What we're watching: When Mableton will release more information about its planned police department, including how many sworn officers it will need and how much the agency will cost to operate annually.