Each year, before the mayor introduces his/her proposed budget, members of the Atlanta City Council prepare their list of priorities. The priorities listed below are taken from City Council Resolution 22-R-3256, adopted on March 21, 2022.
Fiscal Stability
- That the FY 2023 Budget be structurally balanced
- No increase in property taxes
- Identify areas where funds, including matching sources and other public funds can be more specifically directed to cost activities (e.g., planning, license and permitting, infrastructure, etc.) geographically or otherwise
- Absorb all expenditures currently in the Solid Waste enterprise funds except for direct trash, recycling, and yard waste collections and items directly related to those into the General Fund.
Community Development
- Housing
- Fully fund the Building the Beloved Community Affordable Housing Trust Fund as outlined in 21-O-0777
- Establish a recurring funding source for the implementation of a Housing Collaborative Center
- Create a budget line item for Invest Atlanta to create an owner-occupied legacy resident home remodel/repair low-interest loan program
- Fund capital projects and rolling stock to improve public health and safety outcomes among our city’s unsheltered population, including purchasing and install self-cleaning bathrooms for use at parks, common areas, and other public facilities across the City of Atlanta, and purchasing a fleet of mobile warming centers for expanded use in inclement weather
- Provide funding to expand Invest Atlanta’s home down payment assistance programs, strengthening the pipelines available for residents to become homeowners
- Expand funding for the Metro Atlanta Land Bank to expand land acquisition opportunities
- Economic Mobility/Opportunity
- Replenish the Economic Opportunity Fund and the Middle Wage Jobs Fund
- Provide funding to effectively implement the City’s economic mobility plan through both Invest Atlanta and WorkSource Atlanta
- Identify revenue streams to tackle the widening wealth gap
- Youth
- Identify revenue streams to fund youth programs which serve as diversion to youth at risk
- Reopen and resource our recreation centers with programming broadly aimed at providing youth with vocational, recreational, and learning opportunities that focus on behavioral intervention and promotes personal growth and social development.
- Parks
- Implement participatory budgeting for citywide Department of Parks and Recreation Participatory projects
- Increase funding to support comprehensive maintenance, repairs, and capital investments as we continue to increase our greenspace inventory across the city.
- Provide appropriate resources for public safety – staffing, equipment, etc. – across our parks city-wide
- Increase funding through the Office of Recreation for more expansive programming for seniors
- Increase Office of Cultural Affairs budget by 50% (from $2M to $3M)
- Allocate $100K to Fulton Technology and Energy Enhancement Authority
- Identify new dedicated streams of revenue – including matching sources and public funds – to support arts and parks
- Add funding for Atlanta Student Movement Monument, Martin Luther King, Jr Statute Pedestal, and Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Infrastructure/Quality of Life
- Expand investment in tools needed to meet the city’s Vision Zero goals, including allocations for speed tables, signage, crosswalks, beacons, and other means necessary to ensure safe streets
- Provide necessary funding to Atlanta Department of Transportation to complete sidewalks on at least one side of every road
- Provide local matching funds for expanded capital investment through federal programs including Reconnecting Communities, INFRA, and the RAISE Act
- Identify new dedicated streams of revenue to support transportation and maintenance
- Continue to invest in energy, environmental, and material sustainability initiatives
Personnel
- Contract for Span-of-Control study
- Ensure Department of Public Works and Department of Watershed Management vacancies are funded to operate at 100% servicing all corners of the City
- Review best practices from peer cities and allocate funding for a tuition assistance program to support City employees seeking to further their higher education
- Bring the staged Atlanta Fire Rescue Department salary increases in line to achieve the Mercer Option 1 recommendation
- Increase salaries for front-line workers not classified as first responders in Department of Public Works, Department of Parks and Recreation, Atlanta Department of Transportation (General Fund) and Department of Watershed Management (Enterprise Fund), including premium pay for Watershed employees and reimplementation of step increase and/or cost of living increases
- Prioritize and increase funding for personnel, technical assistance, and support services for the NPU system
- Fully fund a commissioner for the 911 System
Public Safety
- Fully fund Department of Customer Service and Policing Alternatives and Diversion Center for twenty-four (24) hour operations to address mental health crisis that occur during non-business hours
- Increase Atlanta Police Department funding to deploy an additional officer in each beat to create and implement a Community Policing Program
- Identify targeted ways to support recruitment and retention of public safety staff including incentives for educational attainment and living in the City of Atlanta
- Increase Atlanta Police Department funding to place officers in all public parks over 5 acres
- Increase human and capital resource investment in License and Permits, including more code enforcement and inspection/investigation staff
- Hire necessary auditors and other support staff to inspect percentage of alcohol sales at businesses designated as restaurants and ensure compliance with city standards for liquor license holders