Local roundup: Atlanta voters OK $750M infrastructure package, Cobb voters nix cityhood efforts
Atlanta voters overwhelmingly approved $750 million in infrastructure upgrades and Cobb County voters soundly rejected three cityhood efforts on Tuesday.
It was part of a number of crucial local issues and races that voters addressed in the primary elections.
The passage of T-SPLOST and other ballot referenda in Atlanta was a win for Mayor Andre Dickens. It will allow the city to continue charging an extra 4 cents on a $10 purchase, which the city says will provide $350 million for bridge, road and sidewalk repairs. Voters also OK’d $400 million in bonds for other infrastructure improvements.
“Thank you to the voters of Atlanta for showing their support of the Moving Atlanta Forward infrastructure investments,” Dickens said in a statement on Wednesday. “These investments will transform our roads, trails and pedestrian infrastructure, construct new public safety facilities that meet the needs of the women and men who serve our communities, and transform our parks, recreation centers and pools.”
The Republican-controlled state legislature passed bills earlier this year that gave three areas of Cobb County a chance to form their own governments. But Cobb voters pumped the brakes on the growing number of cityhood efforts on Tuesday. The ballot questions to form new cities failed in East Cobb (73% to 27%) Lost Mountain (58% to 42%) and Vinings (55% to 45%).
The votes came after a move to allow Buckhead residents to vote on forming a new city failed in this year’s legislative session.
In other local races of note, the incumbent Robb Pitts appears to have secured the Democratic nomination for Fulton County Commission chair. He leads by nearly 50 points with nearly all of the precincts reporting. A win would allow Pitts to run unopposed in November.
In other Fulton Commission races, Republican Bridget Thorne and Democrat Maggie Goldman won their primaries in District 1 and will face off in November. The incumbent Republican Lee Morris and Democrat Dana Barrett ran unopposed in their primaries and will face each other in the District 3 race. And incumbent Marvin Arrington easily sailed to reelection in District 5.
In Fulton County School Board races, Lillie Pozatek was just barely above the 50% threshold to avoid a runoff in District 2, but there are still some votes to be counted. Kristin McCabe appears headed to a win in District 5. The incumbent Kimberly Dove is up 10 points with about 60% of precincts reporting in District 6. And Phil Chen and Michaelle Morancie are neck-and-neck with about 90% of precincts reporting in District 7.
In DeKalb County Commission races, Marshall Orson appears headed to a runoff against Lauren Alexander in District 2. And the incumbents Larry Johnson in District 3 and Lorraine Cochran-Johnson in District 7 both crushed their opponents.
In DeKalb School Board races, Whitney McGinniss and Candice McKinley will head to the June 21 runoff in District 2. The incumbent Allyson Gevertz was re-elected to her District 4 seat. And Diijon DaCosta will face Janet Hughes in a runoff for the District 6 seat.
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