by Caleb Groves

MARIETTA, Ga.— On Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, during the Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting, the board approved shifting the Commission Chair’s contingent budget to an operational budget.

After yesterday’s BOC work session, some commissioners were still in disagreement with Chairwoman Lisa Cupid’s proposal to move the Chairwoman’s $200,000 contingency funding to operational funding. This is the first year that the BOC has had operational access to these funds.

The agenda item would allow Cupid to use her funds on policy research and communications, as well as professional services, office activities, events and programs.

With transferring the contingency budget to the operational budget, as long as the funding is within a particular threshold, there is no need for BOC approval; for professional services, that threshold is $50,000 and for some matters, $100,000. The threshold is dependent on the agenda item.

Commissioner Joann Birrell shared her concerns regarding the lack of procurement processes in the agenda item in place for projects and the lack of communication with other commissioners about projects.

The BOC voted 4-1 in approval, with Commissioner Keli Gambrill in opposition.

Gambrill said there was a lack of transparency in Cupid’s allocation of funds for past projects.

“We are a board member of five because we’re here to hold each other accountable and you’re essentially asking to not be held accountable to the rest of the board with taxpayers’ dollars.”

In response, Cupid said she is being held to the same standard as other commissioners.

“I have never been coy, nor have I been trying to be deceitful in any way in expressing my support for commissioners to have their own operating budget.”