"Redevelopment Powers Law" Referendum

Cobb County, Georgia · November 3, 2026

Full ballot text

"Shall the Act be approved which authorizes the City of Mableton, Georgia, to exercise all redevelopment powers allowed under the 'Redevelopment Powers Law,' as it may be amended from time to time?"

What it does

This referendum would authorize the City of Mableton to use Georgia's Redevelopment Powers Law, which allows a city to designate redevelopment areas and create tax allocation districts (TADs). In a TAD, growth in property tax revenue within the district is set aside to pay for infrastructure and development costs there, often by issuing bonds, instead of flowing to general government services. It grants a tool; it does not itself create any district or raise tax rates.

How it lines up with you

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Dossier

Researched 2026-09-22 · Claude Code research agent with web search

A yes vote authorizes the City of Mableton to use Georgia's Redevelopment Powers Law to create Tax Allocation Districts, issue tax allocation bonds and pursue community redevelopment in areas like the Six Flags/I-20 corridor and Floyd Road; a no vote (or a flawed election) automatically repeals the authorization under enabling bill HB 1213, which the legislature passed unanimously and Governor Kemp signed May 11, 2026. Mableton's city council and mayor support the measure as a blight-fighting, no-new-tax financing tool; no organized opposition was found.

For

Mableton City Council source
Mableton Mayor Michael Owens source
Mableton Economic Development Director Artie Jones source

Against

None found.

What it does

A yes vote authorizes Mableton to use Georgia's "Redevelopment Powers Law" (O.C.G.A. Title 36, Ch. 44; Ga. Const. Art. IX, Sec. II, Par. VII(b)) to create Tax Allocation Districts (TADs), issue tax allocation bonds, and pursue community redevelopment (MDJ). A TAD freezes a district's taxable value and directs future property-tax growth there toward roads, sidewalks, utilities, streetscapes and parks, without a new tax (Cobb Courier). A no vote, or a flawed election, automatically repeals the authorization under enabling bill HB 1213 (BillTrack50). The two-year-old city has no such powers today.

Why it's on the ballot

Mableton's council passed a resolution asking state Rep. Terry Cummings (D-Mableton) to sponsor enabling legislation (MDJ). HB 1213, introduced February 5, 2026 by Reps. Solomon Adesanya, Cummings, Mekyah McQueen, Jordan Ridley, Gabriel Sanchez and Michael Smith, passed the House 162-0 on February 19, 2026, passed the Senate unanimously March 3, 2026, and was signed by Gov. Kemp May 11, 2026; the bill requires this referendum (BillTrack50). Officials cite blight along the Six Flags/I-20 gateway corridor and Floyd Road as the problem to address (MDJ).

Who supports it and why

The city council backed the legislation unanimously (MDJ). Economic Development Director Artie Jones says TADs fund infrastructure "without creating new taxes"; Mayor Michael Owens names specific corridors to redevelop (MDJ). The legislature passed it unanimously in the House.

Who opposes it and why

No organized opposition or public "vote no" argument was found in coverage searched for this report.

Money

No campaign finance committee, for or against, was found in news coverage or Georgia's ethics-disclosure system.

What to watch

Approval takes effect immediately; officials describe TAD planning with public input starting early 2027, financing and projects late 2027 into 2028 (Council for Quality Growth). No TAD boundaries are set yet; each would need a separate council vote. TAD financing diverts future property-tax growth inside a district away from the general tax base toward redevelopment debt — a structural tradeoff of tax-increment financing generally, though no Mableton-specific critique of it appeared in coverage found.

What we couldn't find

No opposition voices, no independent fiscal analysis of TAD revenue diversion, and no exact Senate roll-call tally. Georgia's own bill page for HB 1213 would not load; status was confirmed via BillTrack50 and news coverage instead.

Sources (6)