As a lifelong Cobb County resident, I want to briefly layout the case for re-electing Cobb County Commission Chairman Tim Lee. The incumbent Lee faces a serial candidate in Mike Boyce who almost sealed the deal during the primary but fell a few votes short of achieving the required majority. Runoff date is July 26th, early voting begins July 5th.
The major gripe against Lee is the way he worked the system to convince a major league baseball franchise to move from Atlanta / Fulton County to Cobb. A few decades back when Cobb County began its incredible growth from rural farm country to become a major part of Metro Atlanta, residents would have thrown a party at such news. It was a bold move by a confident leader, something in short supply these days. Yet many in our diverse county found it troublesome that an elected official could be so bold as to carry out his assigned job function without first checking with those who elected him. These naysayers wanted a public vote/referendum, in other words, mob rule.
Details of Chairman Lee’s go it alone methods to attract the Braves to Cobb have been discussed many times so no need to rehash old news. Suffice to say he got it done and after legal review, no laws were broken. The Atlanta Braves will be playing professional baseball in Cobb County at a public/private funded facility that will likely become a major attraction and tax benefit to all Cobb County residents.
Beyond the Braves deal, Lee has maintained Cobb’s AAA bond rating, enhanced public safety, kept taxes low and helped to generate much needed economic development for the county. His record can be compared favorably with any of his recent predecessors. As challenger Boyce put it in an AJC interview with Jim Galloway when asked how the county has been run, “Oh it’s superb, it’s got great people.” Can’t argue with that.
Tim Lee has earned another term as Cobb County Commission Chairman through hard work and a vision of Cobb’s future as a centerpiece to Metro Atlanta’s success. He is a dynamic leader with a track record of success that should be rewarded.