The Atlanta Braves will pay Cobb County nearly $1.5 million for sewage and water costs, while Cobb taxpayers of will pay the team $500,000 for payment of the county’s project management costs related to the new SunTrust Park.
The settlement results in a net payment of nearly $1.4 million to Cobb County, county officials said.
“This is part of a partnership where occasionally you have disagreements,” Cobb County Commission Chairman Mike Boyce said in a news release. “I think this is an agreement that will satisfy both sides. We are happy we will come out of this with a 1.4 million dollar check. This hopefully will put some of the questions about the deal with the Braves behind us. We’re not going to solve anything by looking at the past we need to find a way to move forward.”
County officials sought $1.5 million from the Braves, according to news reports. The baseball team, embroiled in a scandal involving signing international players, initially declined said the county owed the team $4.6 million.
County officials heralded the settlement as a win for Cobb taxpayers. The payment comes after Cobb officials raised residents’ property taxes, though officials content the property tax increase is not tied to the stadium, which was negotiated in secret.
The Board approved the settlement by a 4-1 vote during their Tuesday meeting. Commissioner Lisa Cupid cast the lone dissenting vote.
