Cobb County’s Annual Operating Budget for fiscal year 2023 was $1,156,137,185.

Georgia law requires that the total amount of any county’s general obligation debt shall never exceed 10% of the total assessed value of all taxable property in the county. Based on the County’s 2013 tax digest and general obligation debt outstanding at September 30, 2013, the County is currently utilizing only 0.82% of its debt limit. The County chooses to pay cash for a substantial amount of capital improvements rather than issue general obligation bonds.

The General Fund had expenditures of $547,449,544 for fiscal year 2022, as reported in the County’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.

The County’s primary source of revenue is property taxes. Other significant sources are licenses and permits, intergovernmental revenue, charges for services, and fines and forfeitures.

Cobb County Policy allows for up to 10 percent of prior year Water System revenues to be transferred, annually, into the General Fund. The General Fund includes the operating costs of most other County services including, but not limited to, police, parks and recreation, senior services, and libraries. This fiscal strategy ensures a diverse General Fund revenue stream that minimizes potential risk should the economy ever take a downturn.

In Cobb County, this strategy dates back to 1985 when W&S bond documents allowed for a transfer of up to 10% of prior year revenues. The County did not start transferring funds to the General Fund until 1998. Since 2009, the budgeted transfer amount has ranged between 7 and 10 percent.  The actual amount transferred was less than the budgeted amount in 6 of the last 10 years. Team Cobb regularly evaluates the tax digest throughout the year to determine the actual transfer rate.

The 2023 budgeted transfer is 7 percent. The Fiscal Year 2024 budget recently approved by the Board of Commissioners has a reduced transfer of 6 percent.

View Water Transfer Rate Chart

Cobb’s policy has been to maintain a 1/10th reserve (10%) for the General Fund.

Revenue bonds, capital lease payables, and notes payable.