Three Democratic candidates for the Cobb County Commission’s District 2 seat — former state Rep. Erick Allen, Dr. Jaha Howard, and Tracy Stevenson – addressed two critical issues for Cobb residents, housing and transportation, as early voting kicked off for the Feb. 11 primary.
About half of Cobb County voters will be choosing new county commissioners for Districts 2 and 4 in a special election scheduled for April 29. It was called after the state legislature won a redistricting battle against the county commission last summer over how to redraw its four voting districts for county commission seats.
Republican candidate Alicia Adams did not attend the forum, which was hosted by local nonprofit groups and Scout Troops 2700 and 312 at the Atlanta Area Council. Interestingly, it was Adams’ lawsuit over how the Democratic-majority county commission redrew two of Cobb’s four commissioner districts that prompted the special election.
Adams’ campaign website does not list her occupation, but it says she will “end the radical liberal control on the Cobb County Commission.” It adds that Adams’ “commitment to Cobb has led her to fight against the MSPLOST tax increase, push for common-sense zoning, and tackle problems like crime, high taxes and careless spending.”
Transportation
District 2 voters wanted to know what the candidates would do to improve transportation, especially after the failure of a countywide transit sales tax referendum last fall. The MSPLOST asked Cobb voters to tax themselves an extra penny over 30 years to fund $10.3 billion worth of transit improvements. Voters balked at the length of the taxation period and some said they didn’t know enough about what the money would be used for.
Allen suggested that the county commission could seek funding alternatives, such as federal grants or partnerships with private companies, to expand the county’s transit system. “As a community, we are going to continue to grow. I’ve talked to several members, and most people say, ‘I don’t want to sit in my car for hours at a time,’” he said.
Allen, a management consultant, represented Vinings from 2019 to 2023 in the state legislature. After an unsuccessful run for Georgia Lt. Governor in 2022, he was elected chair of the Cobb County Democrats.
Howard addressed the need for a clearer transportation vision — an issue some residents had with the MSPLOST. The pediatric dentist has served on both Cobb’s Transit Advisory Board and its Board of Education.
“I don’t think it’s okay to spend billions of dollars with bits and pieces of information fragmented and not understanding how it all works,” Howard said. “There is a willingness to commit to significantly investing here in Cobb County in our mobility, but we better do right by letting people know exactly what’s going on.”
Both Allen and Howard ran in the initial Cobb Commission District 2 election last May that was later invalidated in court, with Howard winning the Democratic primary.
For Stevenson, who opposed the MSPLOST, the current transit system’s inefficiency was a major concern. The retired general contractor has been a frequent critic of the current Cobb commission’s Democratic majority, saying that he would stress “fiscal responsibility and transparency” as a commissioner, according to the East Cobb News.
“Does anyone know how much we lose on our current transit budget? Last year, we lost 80 cents on the dollar. Now, we’re losing 90 cents on the dollar. I’m not saying it ought to be profitable. But that’s a money trade that just can’t be tolerated,” Stevenson said.
Stevenson instead thinks a ‘needs-based’ plan would better suit Cobb residents. For instance, he would prioritize additional funding for the existing bus system in areas where demand is highest.
Housing affordability
For Cobb voters, affordable housing is also a pressing issue. All three Democratic District 2 candidates agreed that the county commission should take a larger role in developing affordable housing for Cobb residents.
Stevenson criticized the county’s current land-development practices and called for better oversight over Cobb’s publicly owned land, saying, “The county owns so much property, they can’t even account for it all.” He advocated that the county partner with private developers to build affordable housing, suggesting the county lease some of the land it owns to housing developers to control prices.
Howard believes that collaboration between the commissioners and the community will be key to solving housing challenges. “We have opportunity. We have land. It’s going to take some creativity,” he added. Howard also advocated for prioritizing educators and first responders, such as police and firefighters, for any affordable housing developed by the county.
Allen emphasized the need for smart, locally-driven solutions. For example, he proposed a special rental district near Kennesaw State University to allow more flexibility in student housing. Cobb County’s zoning code currently only allows a property to be rented to two unrelated tenants, he explained.
“But if we had a special rent district, those areas could allow you to rent the home to as many students as there are bedrooms and spaces — like an apartment or a four-bedroom house. Four students could split the rent four ways, and now you have an affordable situation for students,” Allen said.