Bumped by voters, Cobb’s chairman eyes next job

Tim Lee, photographed at the Atlanta Braves office across from SunTrust Park, sold himself as the smart-growth, smart business leader. It didn’t convince voters to let him stay at the helm of Cobb County’s government. BOB ANDRES /BANDRES@AJC.COM

Credit: Bob Andres

Credit: Bob Andres

Tim Lee, photographed at the Atlanta Braves office across from SunTrust Park, sold himself as the smart-growth, smart business leader. It didn’t convince voters to let him stay at the helm of Cobb County’s government. BOB ANDRES /BANDRES@AJC.COM

Tim Lee, who led the charge to spend lots of public money on the Atlanta Braves’ move to the burbs, says he’s getting plenty of interest from employers who might want to hire him.

The Cobb County commission chairman leaves office at the end of the year after losing his re-election bid in the Republican primary runoff. He had become a polarizing figure in how the Braves deal was handled.

Come Jan. 2, "I have to sell my ability to make deals happen," Lee said.

People have talked to him about working for them in business development or becoming a consultant to help other counties, he said. For now, Lee said, he doesn’t plan to do any work tied to Cobb but would “love to stay in the public sector.”

What are the chances he’ll run for elected office ever again?

“Zero,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lee sees evidence everywhere that he was right about the benefits of committing hundreds of millions to build the new SunTrust Park stadium. Is he really right? Check out my latest Unofficial Business column on MyAJC.com.