The Marietta Daily Journal – Commissioner pushes back on school district s reform bid

MARIETTA — Cobb School District is pushing for reform of the way Cobb’s local development authority conducts its business, but at least one county commissioner is pushing back.

School system attorney Clem Doyle, in a letter to developers of the Riverwalk mixed-use project, seems to suggest that the school system should have a say in whether tax incentives are offered to businesses.

And some school board members are eager to see a process put in place that would give the school board a seat at the table earlier in any discussions about tax breaks for businesses.

In his letter, Doyle suggested the county should develop and approve a new tax abatement policy.

That policy “should include a process that incorporates a reasonable and objective analysis of the costs (including the abatement) and benefits of each future project,” Doyle wrote.

The policy should take into account the number of jobs created, average wage, value of the property, sales tax generated, any increase in county services required and the environmental impact.

via The Marietta Daily Journal – Commissioner pushes back on school district s reform bid.