Due to Cobb County’s penchant for property development over the past few decades, without any observance to the impact on private lakes and streams, many home owners are facing larger costs and sooner than normal requirements to dredge the lakes adjoining their properties or within their subdivisions…with some dredging costs ranging from $50,000 to over $1 million, this cost is normally borne by the homeowners themselves.
Other counties around the state of Georgia charge about $3.65 per home per month. It’s possible that Cobb will charge based on the amount of space the house and driveway takes and could cost more than $3.65/month.
Critics argue it’s a tax on people without responsibility for help to people with the responsibility and also the fund may become a slush fund for other expenses and not earmarked and reserved for the cleanup or dredging of lakes or streams in Cobb and it’s not getting to the root cause of the problems, only throwing money at a problem that will continue to exist.
My opinion: Cobb County has allowed the expansion and building of residential developments and enlarged drainage systems all over the county and helped alter the flow of water and caused damage to homeowner’s property. (They did that in our subdivision which resulted in driveways washing out and repair of street collapse…not sure how many others experience the wrath of new development.) The county needs to step up and take more responsibility for the damage they helped create. But I think they will step up by taxing current residents for their misbehavior, and not giving up their salaries after approving developments and not knowing storm water management.
Source: Marietta Daily Journal – April 27, 2014