Georgia’s newest city now has a municipal government in place.
Voters in Cobb County’s new city of Mableton have elected Marine veteran and cybersecurity expert Michael Owens as their first Mayor. Owens, who supported the cityhood movement, defeated Aaron Carman, who voted “no” on the cityhood referendum and was backed by deannexation groups.
With more than 6,000 votes cast, Owens was leading Carman 56% to 44% as of Wednesday morning — a margin of around 700 votes. The two were competing in a runoff election after failing to earn more than 50% of the vote in a March special election.
Likewise, several city council races were sent to runoffs. The six-member council will comprise of the following members:
Ron Davis, District 1
Dami Oladapo, District 2
Keisha Jeffcoat, District 3
Patricia Auch, District 4
TJ Ferguson, District 5
Debora Herndon, District 6
Results are set to be certified next week. Mayor-elect Owens and the new city councilmembers will then undergo training sessions from state officials before holding their first city council meeting.
The new city government is set to take on several important tasks, such as establishing city services. These include sanitation collection, police and fire departments, public libraries and parks/recreational areas. They must also draft a budget and hire a city manager.
With a population of about 77,000, Mableton is set to become Cobb County’s largest city. Some points of interest in the new city include Six Flags Over Georgia, the Mable House Barnes Amphitheater and the Silver Comet Trail.
A date for the first council meeting has not been set.