The Mableton City Council is the seven-member elected body that governs the City of Mableton, Georgia. It consists of a mayor chosen citywide and six council members, each representing one of the city’s six geographic districts. Together they pass ordinances, approve the annual budget, set the property tax rate, and oversee the delivery of municipal services to roughly 80,000 residents in this Cobb County community, which voters chose to incorporate in November 2022.
Who Serves on the Council
The first council took office in early 2023 after a special election, so most of these officials are the first people ever to hold their seats.
- Mayor Michael Owens (citywide)
- District 1: Ron Davis
- District 2: Michael McNeely
- District 3: Keisha Jeffcoat
- District 4: Cassandra Brown
- District 5: TJ Ferguson
- District 6: Debora Herndon
Every resident falls within one of the six districts and votes for the candidate in that district. The mayor appears on every ballot citywide.
How the Government Is Structured
Mableton operates under a mayor-council form of government created by House Bill 839, the charter legislation passed by the Georgia General Assembly. The mayor presides over council meetings and represents the city in intergovernmental dealings. The six council members focus on the concerns of their districts while also voting on matters that affect the whole city. Splitting the mayor’s role from the six district seats keeps any single officeholder from accumulating too much authority.
Because the city is so new, the council has been building Mableton’s institutions from scratch: hiring staff, negotiating service contracts, and drafting the ordinances that form the city’s regulatory framework.
What the Council Actually Does
The council’s lawmaking authority flows from Georgia’s Home Rule provisions, which let a municipal governing body adopt ordinances on local matters as long as they do not conflict with state law or the city’s charter.1Justia. Georgia Code 36-35-3 – Adoption of Ordinances, Rules, and Regulations In practice, that means Mableton’s council can pass zoning regulations, establish permit and business license fees, set code enforcement standards, and regulate matters from noise levels to building setbacks.
The most consequential annual exercise of this power is adopting the city budget, which dictates how tax revenue is allocated across departments. Every expenditure, from road resurfacing to park maintenance, traces back to a line item the council voted to approve.
Zoning and land use carry particular weight in a young city still defining its physical character. Council decisions about where to allow commercial development, how dense residential projects can be, and where green space is preserved will shape Mableton’s neighborhoods for decades. These decisions must align with the city’s comprehensive plan and comply with state property-rights protections.
Setting the Property Tax Rate
The council sets Mableton’s annual millage rate, which determines how much property owners pay per dollar of assessed value. Cobb County’s tax commissioner collects city taxes alongside the separate county and school district levies that appear on the same bill.2Cobb County Tax Commissioner. Millage Rates
One important thing for homeowners: the homestead exemptions Cobb County offers for county taxes do not automatically carry over to the city portion of your bill.3Cobb County Tax Commissioner. Exemptions – Property Taxes To get an exemption on the Mableton portion, you have to apply with the city’s tax office separately.
The council also established a Public Safety Special Service District, a dedicated property tax levy that funds law enforcement and emergency services. Business license fees, building permits, franchise fees from utility providers, and fines round out the city’s revenue mix.
Who Runs Day-to-Day Operations
The council sets policy. A professional city manager, appointed by the mayor and council, handles daily operations as the city’s chief executive and administrative officer. The city manager directs all city departments, ensures that ordinances and charter provisions are carried out, and prepares the annual operating and capital budgets for the council to review.4Mableton, GA. Office of the City Manager If the council is unhappy with the city manager’s performance, it has the power to make a change.
The Police Department Transition
When Mableton incorporated, the city contracted with Cobb County for law enforcement rather than building a department from scratch. That arrangement ran into trouble when county officials declined to offer a long-term renewal. After mediation in May 2026, the city and county agreed to a one-year bridge contract valued at $13 million while Mableton works to stand up its own police force.
The council has since authorized the initial phase of creating an independent Public Safety Division. A firm timeline for when the department will be fully operational has not been announced. Standing up a police department involves recruitment, training, fleet procurement, and policy development, and this is shaping up to be one of the largest decisions the first council makes.
Residential trash and recycling collection is handled through private haulers rather than a city-run sanitation department. Infrastructure maintenance, parks, code enforcement, and community development fall under the city’s own departments.
Attending a Council Meeting
Council sessions take place at the Mableton Riverside EpiCenter. The council holds both regular meetings and work sessions, typically on different weeks throughout the month. Agendas and minutes are published through the city’s online CivicClerk portal, where residents can review upcoming items or past votes.
Each regular meeting includes a period for public comment. If you want to speak, expect to sign up in advance and keep your remarks brief. Georgia councils typically allot around three minutes per speaker, though the presiding officer can adjust that limit. You do not need to be a Mableton resident to attend, but the comment period is primarily meant for people who live or do business in the city. Showing up at a meeting where your issue is on the agenda carries far more weight than sending an email after the vote.
Getting Records From the City
Georgia’s Open Records Act gives the public broad access to government documents, and Mableton is no exception. All city records are open for personal inspection unless a specific legal exemption applies.5Justia. Georgia Code 50-18-71 – Right of Access; Timing Residents can submit requests through an online portal on the city’s website, and the city has three business days to produce the records or describe what exists and when it will be available.6City of Mableton, GA. Open Records Requests The city is not required to create new reports or compile data that does not already exist, so your request should describe existing documents rather than asking for custom analysis.
Elections, Terms, and Running for a Seat
Mableton’s council elections are nonpartisan, so no party label appears on the ballot and there are no party primaries. Council seats carry four-year terms after the initial staggering period, which was designed to prevent the entire council from turning over at once. For the first council, members in Districts 1, 3, and 5 received longer initial terms running through December 2027, while Districts 2, 4, and 6 had shorter initial terms ending in December 2025. After those initial terms, all seats follow the standard four-year cycle.
Candidates for a district seat must live within that district. The city charter and state law also require candidates to be registered voters and to have resided within the city limits for a specified period before qualifying. If more than two candidates file for the same seat and no one wins a majority, a runoff decides the race. Qualifying windows, filing fees, and deadlines are set by council resolution ahead of each election cycle, so anyone considering a run should watch the city clerk’s office and the official city website for announcements. The qualifying period is short and the paperwork requirements are strict.