MABLETON, GA. — Mableton Mayor Michael Owens announced that the city must establish its own police department following Cobb County's decision to decline a long-term policing agreement. City leaders had initially sought to continue contracting with the county police department for law enforcement services through 2034.
The previous police services agreement between the city and the county has expired. The county currently lacks the legal authority to directly provide police services to the city. Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens is temporarily deputizing county police officers so they can continue responding to emergency calls in Mableton.
City and county representatives conducted approximately 10 hours of mediation on May 22. The county board approved the intergovernmental agreement on May 26, and the City Council approved it on May 27. Mayor Owens stated that the county approved a version of the agreement that was not mutually agreed upon by both parties. "When we brought to the county the fact that we've got some issues with this IGA, they basically said too late, we've already approved it," Owens said.
The city council approved the creation of a citywide public safety special service district in December 2025 to collect taxes for public safety services. The city's proposed fiscal year 2027 budget estimates approximately $21 million in revenue from this district. Owens indicated the city's future public safety would now need to be handled independently. "It wasn't our goal, wasn't what we asked or, it was the situation we found ourselves in going into mediation," Owens said.
No independent assessment of Michael Owens’s claims was available.