Marietta Pauses City Passport Office Plan Until January
The city council has delayed a proposed passport acceptance facility at Marietta City Hall while federal online application options remain unclear.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in City Hall
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Marietta City Council has paused plans to establish a city passport office until its January committee meeting. The proposal, requested by Councilman Jason Waters in September, would create a passport acceptance facility in the first floor lobby of City Hall.
Why it matters
The council chose not to move forward because of several unknowns, the largest being possible federal expansion of online passport applications. The decision affects how Marietta residents will access passport services as nearby options already exist.
The city office would collect fees that flow to the general fund, with an estimated total cost of $34,500 to $54,000. Achieving break-even at the high-end budget would require processing 1,543 requests.
The players
Marietta City Council
The municipal legislative body of Marietta, Georgia, responsible for approving city programs and budgets.
Jason Waters
A Marietta city councilman who requested in September that the city establish its own passport office.
Connie Taylor
The suspended Cobb Superior Court Clerk who is being prosecuted by the Georgia Attorney General's office over allegations related to passport fee records.
Tahnicia Phillips
The Cobb State Court Clerk who began accepting passport applications through her office this week.
The details
The city study, conducted by city staff, found the office would accept eligible applications, verify documentation, administer oaths, witness signatures, collect fees and transmit completed applications to the state. The office would be a passport acceptance facility rather than a federal passport agency, and the proposal follows Cobb Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor's suspension amid a prosecution over passport fee records.
Timeline
September: Councilman Jason Waters requested that the city establish its own passport office.
July: The Marietta Daily Journal reported that Taylor cut checks to herself before her suspension.
Monday: Cobb State Court Clerk Tahnicia Phillips began accepting passport applications.
January: The council is set to resume passport office discussions at its committee meeting.
Political Context
The proposal emerged after Connie Taylor's suspension and prosecution over allegations that she ordered destruction of financial records tied to roughly $1.1 million in passport income. Council members weighed whether a city-run office would provide an accessible alternative while the county's passport operations remain under scrutiny.
Residents seeking passport services currently have nearby options, including acceptance facilities at Cobb State Court and the West Cobb and Mountain View regional libraries within about 10 miles. The city office would not exist before January, so no new local option is available yet.
The takeaway
Local government service decisions often hinge on federal policy changes that can quickly alter their necessity. Residents should check current passport acceptance locations before making travel plans.
What happens next
The council is set to take up passport office discussions again during its January committee meeting.
Further reading
For more on local government decisions, see City Hall coverage across the city.
Source note: This article includes information reported by MDJOnline.
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