By Mark Woolsey

Cobb officials continue a series of public hearings to get feedback on a possible 2028 SPLOST, or Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.

That’s after the Board of Commissioners signed off on a preliminary list of capital projects that could be funded by the optional 1% sales tax. The tax proposal is up for a vote in November and if approved, collections would begin in 2028.

The current SPLOST sunsets effective the end of 2027.

The proposals fall into a wide variety of buckets, from technology to transportation to outlays for public safety projects. New facilities, such as libraries and community rooms, are part of the preliminary project list. So are road improvements, including upgrades to a number of busy intersections. Money for parks and recreation facilities is also tucked in.

Here’s the schedule for the balance of the hearings:

• January 21, 2026 – Public Safety Training Center (Mableton, Austell, Powder Springs), 2435 East-West Connector, Mableton
• January 22, 2026 – Public Safety Training Center (Mableton, Austell, Powder Springs), 2435 East-West Connector, Mableton
• January 29, 2026 – Fullers Recreation Center, 3499 Robinson Rd NE, Marietta
• February 5, 2026 – West Cobb Senior Center, 4915 Dallas Hwy, Powder Springs
• February 12, 2026 – Acworth Community Center, 4361 Cherokee St, Acworth
• February 25, 2026 – Smyrna Community Center, 1250 Powder Springs St, Smyrna
• March 5, 2026 – Cobb Civic Center, 548 South Marietta Pkwy SE, Marietta
• March 10, 2026 – Kennesaw Ben Robertson Community Center, 2753 Watts Dr, Kennesaw

To read the list of proposed projects, follow this link.

Importance of the SPLOST

The SPLOST was created to provide an alternative means of taking on big capital improvement projects that a county or city would not otherwise be able to afford with existing resources.

“We’re a small city with the smallest budget, and SPLOST is critical,” said Austell Mayor Ollie Clemons, quoted in a news release on the county website. “Especially when you consider aging infrastructure and parks and recreation, SPLOST means everything to our community.”

“It’s been a huge benefit to our residents,” said Smyrna Mayor Derek Norton in the same news release. “From the unsexy infrastructure things like road paving, water, and sewer, to the shiny objects like parks and recreation improvements—these are the items residents really appreciate.”