At her annual state of the county address, Cobb Chairwoman Lisa Cupid on Thursday said inequality and rising housing costs represent a growing threat to the affluent Atlanta suburb, and called on the county government to “do things differently” to meet the needs of its diversifying population.
“Our diversity is not just demographically or geographically — it’s economically,” she said. “We are one of Georgia’s most affluent counties, yet 70,000 of our residents live in poverty.
“We don’t get to be the best county by leaving half of our citizens behind,” she added.
Before she took the stage, Mike Carnathan, a researcher at the Atlanta Regional Commission, laid out how the population’s racial makeup had changed over the years, along with its needs. A decade ago, residents could find homes for under $200,000 across much of the county; today the median home is sold for over $350,000.
Credit: Branden Camp
Credit: Branden Camp
“We should be celebrating how wildly successful we are as a region and a county,” Carnathan said. “But let’s not gloss over the fact that we have some work cut out for us.”
The message was an unusual one at an event that has long been hosted by the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, traditionally serving as a platform to tout the county’s successes before business and political leaders.
In a nod to the political optics of directing her annual keynote speech to a room of business leaders, Cupid this year moved the event to Jim R. Miller Park, offered free tickets to Cobb residents and attempted to fund the event through the county budget, rather than rely on corporate sponsorships as in years past. (The sponsorships remained, after the board of commissioners rejected the funding request.)
Credit: Branden Camp
Credit: Branden Camp
Cupid spoke at length about the need for public officials to be honest about the challenges the county faces, pointing to an upcoming budget that seeks to replenish an atrophying public sector by adding nearly 700 county workers.
She briefly acknowledged the four cityhood movements that will appear on the ballot later this year, saying that no matter what voters decide, the county government would be a “faithful partner” to its cities.
“We have always been and we always will be one Cobb County,” she said.
But she pushed back against the motivations of some who support forming a city government in order to keep affordable housing out of their communities.
“The concern is I am bringing affordable housing next door to you,” she said. “I can tell you that if you want grocery stores next door to you, if you want schools next door to you ... affordable housing has to go somewhere.”
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