Lisa Cupid, the Chairwoman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners issued a statement about the challenge the county is mounting to the redistricting by the state legislature that was carried out against the wishes of the county’s legislative delegation, and which had the effect of drawing District 2 Commissioner Jerica Richardson out of her district.

Chairwoman Cupid wrote:

The Cobb County Board of Commissioners will vote on whether or not to exercise its home rule authority under the Georgia Constitution to address the Legislature’s redrawing of the county’s district lines following the 2020 Census. 

Our State’s Constitution provides local governments with home rule authority to amend or repeal local laws, provided the local legislation does not address certain subject matters where home rule authority is preempted.

 
The redrawing of district lines generally occurs after each census.  This will be the first time the county will consider the exercise of home rule authority to redraw our district lines.

Correspondingly, this is also the first time the state legislature has acted to redraw district lines so that it would unseat a commissioner in the middle of the commissioner’s term.

The drastic nature of the state’s action has undermined the cooperation that generally does occur and should occur with counties and their local delegation when redrawing district lines. It has also undermined the expectation voters should have in trusting that those they elect to serve will be able to do so.

I could not sit idly by and watch the integrity of this board’s composition and our citizens’ vote be callously undermined.

Moreover, I cannot overlook that such a threat to our county is a possible threat to any county within the State of Georgia.

I look forward to voting to support the exercise of our home rule authority, our county, and our citizens.

Background

Yesterday the county posted the following notice to its website announcing its intent to challenge the process by which the new commission district maps were drawn.

The Cobb County Board of Commissioners (“the Board”) is notifying the public that at its next two regular meetings on October 11, 2022, at 9:00 am and October 25, 2022, at 7:00 pm, the Board will consider and vote on whether to approve a proposed resolution to amend an Act creating the Board of Commissioners of Cobb County pursuant to the Board’s Home Rule authority under the Georgia Constitution. The Georgia Constitution empowers county governing authorities to amend or repeal local laws, provided the local legislation does not address certain subject matters where home rule authority is preempted.View the Resolution Amending Local Law hereView the Synopsis of Resolution here