Commissioner Allen says county allocated $2 million in SPLOST to Cobb County Veterans Memorial

Commissioner Eric Allen told listeners that a January vote allocated an additional $2,000,000 in SPLOST funds to the Cobb County Veterans Memorial to bridge a funding gap created by inflation and fundraising challenges.

Allen said the memorial was initially a public–private project, but rising construction costs since 2022 made it harder for the nonprofit foundation to raise its share and complicated the legal fundraising structure after the project moved into SPLOST. "This new $2,000,000 allocation added to the existing funds, it finally bridges the gap once and for all," he said, and said the money will allow the county to hire a designer and begin construction.

Allen acknowledged that he voted against a prior, smaller transfer last summer — a $1,000,000 request moved from a community park project — not because he opposed honoring veterans but because he believed the project was not yet ready: the design and agreement with the foundation were, in his words, "outdated" and the business case "wasn't ready." After subsequent work between county staff and the foundation, Allen said sufficient clarity and a one-time funding opportunity emerged when 2022 SPLOST revenues came in above projections.

Allen framed the site as more than a monument: he said he wants the location to function as a gateway to services for veterans, partnering with the Cobb Collaborative and local clinics to address housing, mental health and VA navigation needs.

The transcript identifies the January vote and the $2,000,000 allocation but does not include a roll-call or tally in the recording; the on-air account states the allocation occurred and describes its intended uses and rationale. The transcript does not include the formal motion text, mover/second or recorded vote totals; those records would need to be obtained from official board minutes for complete vote documentation.