MARIETTA - Marietta businessman Earl Stine announced this week his candidacy for the District 3 seat on the Cobb County Board of Commissioners. The centerpiece of the political newcomer's campaign is a plan to end the county's property taxes.

If elected, Stine said he would introduce a plan to eliminate property taxes as the primary method of paying for county government operations. The plan, he said, would eliminate property taxes and replace them with a one-cent sales tax, called a homestead option sales tax, allowing for a 100 percent homestead exemption for homeowners.

Critics of homestead exemption sales taxes say they place an added burden on the poor, who are likely not to own a home. However, Stine said homeowners have been bearing too much financial responsibility in places such as Cobb.

"We've got a good management team in place for the county. I just honestly feel like we have a lot of people coming from outside the county to work, play and eat in this county. They're utilizing public services and they're not paying a penny for it right now," Stine said. "I think they should pay their fair share and homeowners should not have to pay that whole burden."

Zoning is another issue Stine would like to tackle. He said he wants to ensure residents are heard before zoning matters are decided.

"I think it's being done O.K.," he said. "I just want to make sure we continue to do that."

Taxpayers are the only special interest group public officials should have, Stine said. Overall, he praised the work of the present Commission in maintaining a good bond rating, balanced budget and a light debt load.

Stine, 56, served two tours in the Army during the Vietnam War. He is an IT management consultant with an accounting degree from Georgia State University. He and his wife, Cindy, have lived in Cobb for more than 30 years, raising their two adult sons. Stine is active in the Marietta Metro Rotary Club, MUST Ministries and YWCA of Northwest Georgia. He is a Republican.

Commissioner Tim Lee, who's running for the Commission's open chairman seat, presently holds the northeast Cobb District 3 seat. Stine said he's friends with Lee and would consult him if for whatever reason Lee decided to seek re-election to his District 3 seat, before determining if he'd continue his own campaign.

"He encouraged me to go ahead and throw my hat into the ring, with the understanding that he was planning on running for the chair spot," Stine said.

At least three other candidates are aiming for the District 3 seat, including attorney Steven Ellis, architect Stephen Moon, and JoAnn Birrell, Waste Management Corp. community relations director.