A tad about TADs discussed in work session

Summary of Monday October 6, 2025 Work Session.

Meeting was held in the co-motion room of the EpiCenter at 135 Riverside Parkway.

Call to Order: 6:45pm

Roll Call - mayor and all council members were in attendance except for Councilman Ferguson. Councilman Ferguson arrived later after roll call.

Dr. Ashlee Houston, Mableton’s event coordinator, gave a recap of 2025 Mableton events. She presented a wish list to the council that included a bigger budget, and event center, and bigger attendance. She mentioned wanting to either do an independent tree lighting for Christmas or partner with Cobb with their tree lighting celebration at the Mable House Complex. Anyone who wants to help sponsor and event or be a vendor at a future event should email her at ashlee.houston@mableton.gov.

Next Jeanne Pope presented her HR handbook policy which is available for review in CivicClerk, and is expected to be presented to council for adoption on October 22.

Mableton’s finance director gave a presentation about Mableton’d fleet policy. Mableton’s current fleet consists of 6 EV cars and 5 EV trucks.

Frantz Francois, Mableton’s IT Director, gave a an update about developing IT and AI policies.

Artie Jones, Mableton’s Economic Development Director, gave a presentation about Tax Allocation Districts.

A Tax Allocation District (TAD) is another term for the more commonly used term “tax increment financing” (TIF). The purpose of a TAD/TIF is to fund public improvements in underdeveloped areas. This is done by capturing the increase in property tax revenue that results from new development in a specific geographic district and directing it toward infrastructure and redevelopment projects within that area.

Establishing a TAD is a three step process:

1.) City must pass a resolution saying they want to exercise redevelopment powers for the purpose of designating TADs.

2). The Georgia Assembly must pass a bill for Mableton to designate TADs

3.) the bill goes to referendum and the voters of Mableton must vote on it.

The areas proposed by Mr. Jones for tax allocation districts were Floyd Road and the Six Flags area.

Mr. Jones said he wanted to start the process as soon as possible so it could potentially be passed by the Georgia Assembly in the next legislative session and the referendum be on the 2026 ballot.

If passed, the TAD would be in place by late 2027/early 2028.

The resolution will likely be presented to the council on October 22.

The boundaries for the TADs would be established after passage of the referendum.

The next presentation was by Mableton’s Communications director Gregory Woods.

The sign-up for city council newsletters is now live on the Mableton Website. She showed a draft template of how the newsletters will look. The newsletters can be monthly or quarterly, and will be compiled by each council member.

The city will be mailing postcards to all parcels within the city of Mableton letting people know they are in the city of Mableton and information to our city website. The cost of sending postcards will be no less than $16,000 but not to exceed $27,000.

Lastly, Susan Hiott presented a proposed 2026 city calendar.

Then there was a review of the upcoming October 8th City Council Meeting agenda.