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What They Don't Want You To Know About Your City
Missing tax estimates, mold drama, and $640K in fees your city doesn't want you questioning
Ravi Patel
June 17, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
Dear Stewards,
Your property tax notice is missing the actual tax amount this year. That's not an accident, as Georgia legislators deliberately removed it with HB 581.
Meanwhile, Café Lucia bounced back from a catastrophic 42 health score to a 77 in just 11 days. The turnaround is impressive, but they're still dealing with mold issues.
And here's something that should make you pay attention: City Council just approved nearly $640,000 in SPLOST management fees. That's your sales tax dollars.
Let's dig in.
— Your Voice for Local Prosperity
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In Today's Edition
🌟 Hidden Gem: Smyrna's Best-Kept Secret for Asian Flavor
📚 Smyrna Elementary: Beyond the Test Scores
🏆 Local Legend: Champions, Pride, & Proclamations
🚨 Stewards Watch: Café Lucia's Rollercoaster Health Score
🧘♀️ Job Board: Full-Time Educator at Lululemon
💰 Why Your Tax Notice Looks Weird: Here's what's missing!
🗓️ Event Horizon: Your Week in Smyrna-Vinings
🏗️ Public Pulse: Downtown Updates: Splashpads & Spending
The secret:
While everyone argues over the “best” Asian food in Atlanta, Michiru quietly serves up stellar dishes from their unassuming spot on South Cobb Drive.
What makes it special:
This isn’t your typical strip-mall fusion. Michiru blends traditional Chinese and Japanese cuisine with high-quality ingredients and consistently excellent service. Somehow, they manage to nail both.
The local intel:
31 neighbors on Nextdoor can’t be wrong, reviews rave that the “food is always fresh & well-seasoned.” It’s the kind of consistency that turns first-timers into regulars.
Pro tip:
Skip the delivery app markups. Order directly for pickup or dine in to save money and support the restaurant more directly.
The bottom line:
In a culture obsessed with food trends, Michiru shines by simply doing everything right, and letting the food speak for itself.
📍 4585 S Cobb Dr, Suite 100 | ☎️ 770-462-2085 | Closed on Mondays
📚 SMYRNA ELEMENTARY: BEYOND THE TEST SCORES
The numbers look concerning: 33% math proficiency, 35% reading proficiency.
The context: 54% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch (Title 1 school), with significant ESL population.
The better metric: GreatSchools rates academic progress 7/10, indicating students are making strong year-over-year gains despite starting challenges.
The programs: "Leader in Me" leadership development, House System for community building, Dual Language English/Spanish Immersion (K-2), and strong community service focus.
Bottom line: Don't judge this school by raw test scores. Look at growth and culture.
LOCAL LEGEND
🏆 Champions, Pride, & Proclomations
The Champions: City Council recognized Smyrna Gymnasts as 2025 USA Gymnastics Georgia State Champions and Campbell High School Boys Soccer as GHSA Class 6A State Champions.
The Pride Controversy: Council issued an LGBTQ+ Pride Month proclamation for Smyrna's 5th annual Pride Weekend starting June 27th.
This comes after Smyrna Pride initially wanted to stay apolitical, then reversed course to allow politically-affiliated groups including Georgia Log Cabin Republicans as vendors.
Also happening: Juneteenth proclamation issued for June 19th celebration.
My take: The Pride policy reversal shows how difficult it is to stay "apolitical" when politics are inherently part of the conversation.
STEWARDS WATCH
🚨 Café Lucia's Rollercoaster Health Score: From Filth to 'Fine' in 11 Days!
The Drama: On June 5th, Café Lucia at 1260 W Spring St scored a dismal 42/100 on their health inspection.
Black mold in the ice machine. Flies throughout the facility. Outdated lunch meats.
The Turnaround: Follow-up inspection on June 16th showed dramatic improvement - score jumped to 77/100.
“It really has gone down in the past few years. Rev has its crowd, now there is Smyrna Coffee, and Caribou Coffee will soon open on S. Cobb @ Windy Hill. Cafe Lucia has become another mediocre restaurant in downtown Smyrna taking up prime real estate.”
Still concerning: That ice machine still has mold on food-contact surfaces requiring EHS verification. Plus there's a hole in the ceiling and excessive grease buildup on ventilation hoods.
Why you care: This is happening in YOUR neighborhood. The quick response shows they're taking it seriously, but 77 isn't exactly confidence-inspiring.
Check any restaurant's health score at dph.georgia.gov before you eat there.
JOB BOARD
🧘♀️ Full-Time Educator
Lululemon | Vinings Jubilee
Become an expert in creating world-class guest experiences for an innovative performance apparel company.
You'll engage with customers, share product knowledge, and contribute to a vibrant community culture.
Why You’ll Love It:
Competitive pay ($21.00 - $23.86/hour total target) with bonus potential
Comprehensive benefits: health, dental, PTO, retirement matching
Generous employee discount on Lululemon gear
Access to fitness & yoga classes, development courses, and mentorship
👉 Apply on Teal 📍 Atlanta, GA (Vinings Jubilee) | 🕒 Full-time, flexible schedule (evenings, weekends, holidays)
💰 WHY YOUR TAX NOTICE LOOKS WEIRD
Here's what's missing from your 2025 Cobb County property assessment: the estimated tax amount.
The reason: Georgia House Bill 581 mandated this change. Assessors' offices requested it because estimated tax amounts can be misleading before final millage rates are set.
The reality: Property values jumped 15% average in Smyrna. You won't see your actual tax bill until summer when millage rates are finalized.
What to do: Use the county's tax estimator at cobbassessor.org. You have 45 days from your notice date to appeal your valuation.
My take: The General Assembly’s made intended to avoid confusion, but it does reduce the immediate clarity homeowners had in past years.
Removing the tax estimate feels deliberately opaque. Taxpayers deserve transparency, even if the numbers aren't final.
EVENT HORIZON
Your Week in Smyrna-Vinings
🚚 Food Truck Tuesday: Savor gourmet bites, sweets, and music every Tuesday night. 📍 Taylor-Brawner Park | 🗓 Tuesday, June 17 | ⏰ 5–9 PM
🖤 Smyrna Juneteenth Festival: Celebrate freedom, history, and culture with live music, food, vendors, and community activities. Featuring Rita Graham, Pastor Troy, DJ Bomb Jahlaam, and more. 📍 Village Green Park, 1250 Powder Springs St SE | 🗓 Thursday, June 19 | ⏰ 5–10 PM (Free event. Limited concert table reservations available here)
🎨 Plus: Info booths, arts & crafts, inflatables, games, and food vendors!
🎶 Blanket Concert Series: Enjoy free live music under the stars with jazz legend Rita Graham. Bring a blanket, relax, and let the music move you.📍Village Green Park, 1250 Powder Springs St SE | 🗓 Thursday, June 19 | ⏰ 6:30–8:30 PM (No registration required)
🕹️ Southern-Fried Gaming Expo: Play 300+ arcade and pinball machines, tabletop games, consoles, and more at Atlanta’s biggest retro gaming celebration. Panels, tournaments, cosplay, and vendors all weekend long. 📍 Cobb Galleria Centre, 2 Galleria Pkwy SE, Atlanta, GA 30339 | 🗓 Friday–Sunday, July 20–22 | ⏰ Times vary by day (Full schedule & tickets)
🛍️ Smyrna Market: Shop 40+ vendors with food, crafts, local goods, and fresh finds. 📍 City Hall, 2800 King Street | 🗓 Sunday, June 22 | ⏰ 10 AM–2 PM
📚 Coins & Currency in Times of Strife: Explore how global conflict shaped money from 1900–1970, with expert Jeff Jones. 📍 Smyrna Public Library, 100 Village Green Circle SE | 🗓 Sunday, June 22 | ⏰ 3–4 PM (No registration required. Sponsored by Friends of Smyrna Library)
🎨 Make-it Mondays - Four Leaf Clovers: Pick up a fun to-go craft kit for kids ages 3–7 📍 Smyrna Public Library, Youth Services Desk, 100 Village Green Circle SE | 🗓 Monday, June 23 | ⏰ 10 AM–7 PM (While supplies last. Glue and crayons not included.)
🏃 Monday Night Run Club - Run Smyrna: Meet fellow runners for a relaxed 3–5 mile run📍Smyrna Beer Market (by Stout Brothers, SW of the fountain). 🗓 Monday, June 23 | ⏰ Meet at 6:30 PM, run starts shortly after (Run at your own pace, and your own risk.)
PUBLIC PULSE
🏗️ DOWNTOWN UPDATES: SPLASHPADS & SPENDING
Coming in July: Several downtown improvements are nearly complete:
Splashpad conversion (all splashpad, no reflecting pool)
New playground for ages 2-5 next to library
New bathroom facility
70 additional surface parking spaces (revised from original parking deck plan)
Stillfire Brewery under construction
The spending: Council approved $639,000 in SPLOST management agreements with Croy Engineering - $156,000 for 2016 SPLOST and $483,000 for 2022 SPLOST programs.
Translation: That's nearly $640,000 in management fees for spending YOUR sales tax money. Is that reasonable oversight or bureaucratic bloat?
💌 KEEPING TABS ON YOUR CITY
City Council decisions affect your daily life: your tax bill, your neighborhood restaurants, your community events. Someone needs to pay attention to the details.
That's what this newsletter does: cuts through the municipal jargon and tells you what actually matters.
💌 Share the intelligence: Forward this to someone whose always asking you whats going on in town
🧭 Support our local businesses! They're the ones supporting the community and hiring your neighbors in Smyrna & Vinings
📣 Got a local gem or listing? Send it our way
💬 Chat with your neighbors: CobbTalk Forum
The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.
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Keep your eyes peeled.
— The Stewardship Group
P.S. Stewardship Challenge of the Week
This week, connect with a local business or non-profit by leaving a positive online review or sharing their social media post to help amplify their community impact. Your support strengthens our local economy and shared resources!