Politics & Government

Cobb Residents Protest to Save Libraries

County citizens read books at a silent protest in Marietta today in an effort to keep the budget axe away from 13 of the facilities.

With 13 of Cobb County's 17 libraries , citizens converged on the Marietta Square today for a silent protest that had a singular clear message: "Save our libraries."

The 13 libraries, including the , would close indefinitely beginning May 1 as part of Cobb County Commission Chairman Tim Lee's plan to make up for a budget shortfall of more than $31 million. Under that plan, four libraries would remain open: Central, Mountain View, South Cobb and West Cobb.

"We need these libraries to stay open," said protest organizer Sarah Waiters. "The libraries provide so much—educational programs for kids and so much more."

Find out what's happening in West Cobbwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Protesters from Austell, Northeast Cobb, East Cobb and elsewhere in the county came to participate. Many learned of the protest from online posts by the "Save Cobb Libraries" Facebook page.

The county is also considering closing three senior centers and two pools, including the one at , and cutting every department's budget by 3.5 percent.

Find out what's happening in West Cobbwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Cobb County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to vote on the budget on Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. at 100 Cherokee St. in Marietta. Patch will be providing live updates from the meeting. 

The proposed budget would run through September 2011. It includes a .5 millage rate increase for the county's fire fund, equaling a $40 tax increase for a home valued at $200,000.

Comments on the proposed budget can be sent to budgetcomments@cobbcounty.org or specific commissioners:

Tim Lee
770-528-3305
tlee@cobbcounty.org
 
Joann Birrell
770-528-3317
joann.birrell@cobbcounty.org
 
Bob Ott
770-528-3316
bob.ott@cobbcounty.org
 
David Hankerson (county manager)
770-528-2612
dhankerson@cobbcounty.org
 
G. Woody Thompson, Jr.
770-528-3311
wthompson@cobbcounty.org
 
Helen Goreham
770-528-3313
hgoreham@cobbcounty.org


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