Atlanta City Hall is finally beginning to craft its next budget for fiscal year 2024, which starts July 1. We’ll be watching as employee unions and department leaders visit the City Council chambers to explain how much money is needed to operate going into next year.
Atlanta’s lawmakers passed a record-breaking general fund budget of $754 million last year that provided pay raises for city employees. Since then, the city has collected an abundance of tax revenues due to increased property values and shopping costs, according to City Hall’s chief financial officers.
The CFOs said in March that Atlanta might have a $16.6 million budget surplus by the end of the current fiscal year, June 30.
We’ll learn more about the city’s latest fiscal projections at Wednesday’s 10 a.m. budget briefing at City Hall. We’re also eager to see the presentations from Atlanta’s public safety agencies on Thursday.
You can see the full budgeting process schedule on the city’s website.
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Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Swifty fever: Thousands of so-called “Swifties” descended on downtown Atlanta this weekend for a sold-out, three-night run of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour stop. Cities on the tour across the country have gone big to welcome the star singer. The mayor of Glendale, Ariz., temporarily changed the city’s name to “Swift City” while other places renamed streets or displayed tour colors on famous landmarks.
Atlanta didn’t pay special homage to the pop queen, although a few ideas were tossed around, according to the mayor’s office.
Director of Communications for the mayor Bryan Thomas — who noted he identifies as a “Swifty” himself — said Atlanta decided not to single out one artist since the city welcomes many throughout the year.
“Atlanta is a mecca for top performers from all over the county and all over the world so we are excited to welcome both Taylor Swift and Janet Jackson this weekend,” he said last week.
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Credit: Natrice Miller / Natrice.Miller@ajc.com
Credit: Natrice Miller / Natrice.Miller@ajc.com
PSTC: Atlanta City Councilman Antonio Lewis recently voiced frustrations with the public safety training center’s (PSTC) police security during a committee meeting last week.
The tensions were triggered after Atlanta Police Department Chief Darin Schierbaum told the council he’s hiring a firm to help attract officers. The city wants 250 more officers a year. Schierbaum said they hired 212 last year, and they’re on that pace today.
Lewis asked why APD spends 12 hours, 5 days a week at the training center site when that attention isn’t given to the city’s other private partners. Lewis also said his district needs more officers.
Schierbaum pushed back and called the center “a city resource” for public safety. He said the officers will leave once attacks stop against on-site security and contractors.
“I want every Atlanta police officer off Key Road just like you do Councilmember Lewis,” he said.
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$566K: That’s the amount of money in front of the city council this month from the sum of eight different settlement claims.
Three of those claims stem from injuries allegedly caused by different APD vehicle accidents, including one that has resulted in a $350,000 settlement. The other claims are mostly related to infrastructure damages.
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
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ICYMI: Atlanta’s famed “Pothole Posse” works day-in and day-out filling annoying holes across the city’s more than 4,500 miles of roadways. But currently, the team is made up of only four members that respond to Atlantans’ 3-1-1 calls to report nuisance potholes that can often be dangerous.
The Atlanta Department of Transportation is lobbying for city leaders to include money to expand the initiative in the upcoming budget to double the size of the program.
Credit: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
