Rally against Cobb County’s proposed 30-Year $$$$$ dollar transit tax, aka the ‘Cupid Tax’, Loud Gets Loud: “Who wants Billions for Buses?”

Citizens, politicians, and candidates alike are rallying against Cobb County’s proposed 30-year, billion-dollar transit tax as many residents and business leaders expressed concerns over its financial implications and are urging voters to say no.

Led by Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, the ‘unpopular’ Mobility Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (M-SPLOST) would raise sales tax to 7% and generate $11 billion to fund a major transit overhaul. Many are calling it the ‘Cupid Tax’ and are urging voters to say NO.

As election eve approaches, the opposition to the tax is gaining momentum, as both citizens and business leaders express concerns over its financial burden and declining ridership on the county’s bus system. Opponents argue that the tax is excessive, unnecessary, and poorly timed, given current usage trends.

Businessman John Loud, President of LOUD Security Systems, criticized the tax, questioning the logic of investing billions into a transit system with declining ridership and predicting a negative impact on schools, businesses, and tax rates. Loud was joined at the rally by former Cobb Chamber of Commerce chairs. All oppose the M-SPLOST. Speaker after speaker warned that the tax could have long-lasting negative effects on schools, businesses, and overall tax rates. Business leaders, including Loud, criticized the tax and questioned the logic of investing billions into a transit system many feel won’t benefit the majority of Cobb residents.

Candidates for the Cobb County Commission, such as Alicia Adams and Yashica Marshall, have also voiced their opposition, arguing that the long-term commitment of the tax is risky without clearer data on the benefits of expanded transit services. Adams, candidate for District 2, who fought against Cupid’s “home rule” map, said, “We’re going to pay money to something we don’t know about and our children are going to pay for it.” Yashica Marshall, candidate for the Cobb BOC in District 4, said “saying no to the tax was not saying no to public transit”. She believed the issue was less about helping the community and more about power, calling the tax a “burden on every generation that follows after us.”

With local media reporting that ridership across the overall Cobb bus system declined by 73% from 2013 to 2022, going from 3.7 million annual trips to just shy of 1 million annual trips and annual passenger miles down 82%, many question how Cupid can say this is needed with a straight face.

State Representative Ginny Ehrhart called the tax a “boondoggle of epic proportions,” further fueling criticism of Chairwoman Cupid’s leadership.

Local media reports indicate a dramatic decline in Cobb’s bus ridership, dropping 73% from 2013 to 2022, with annual passenger miles down 82%. This raises significant doubts about the necessity of the proposed tax, especially in light of declining usage.

State Representative Ginny Ehrhart labeled the tax a “boondoggle of epic proportions,” further contributing to the criticism of Chairwoman Cupid’s leadership. As the November 5th ballot approaches, Cobb residents will weigh the tax’s potential benefits against the growing concerns expressed by its opponents, while also considering whether it’s time for a change in leadership after Cupid’s tenure of imposing tax after tax.