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 23-R-3285, adopted on March 20, 2023.
Fiscal Stability
- Ensure that the FY 2024 budget is structurally balanced (timing/nature of revenue matched to that of expenses)
- No increase in property tax millage rate
- Identify opportunities where funds received, including matching sources, other public funds, can be directed to cost activities geographical, functionally, etc. (e.g. planning, license and permits, impact fees, etc.)
- Expand department staffing capacity to seek and apply for federal, state and foundation grant opportunities (APD, DPW, DWM)
- Ensure that COVID-19, AARP and other relief program fund balances are fully deployed
- Complete fee studies in DCP, DWM, and DPR to update fees to better match with actual activity costs
- Affirm that budget expenditures comport with those services and responsibilities delineated in the City of Atlanta’s charter
Community Development
- Housing
- Fully fund the Building the Beloved Community Affordable Housing Trust Fund at 1.5% of the general fund budget as outlined in 21-O-0777
- Increase funding for the Metro Atlanta Land Bank to expand land acquisition opportunities
- Establish a recurring funding source for the implementation of a Housing Collaborative Center
- Invest in programs to support legacy homeowners (e.g. Legacy Resident Housing Stabilization Fund), first time home purchasers and seniors (e.g., Senior Citizen Housing Code Relief Fund, House Proud), including owner-occupied legacy resident home remodel/repair low-interest loans, down payment assistance, and property tax relief programs
- Develop and invest initiatives that 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
- Fund a study to develop grocery stores on city-owned property in current food deserts in the city
- Economic Mobility/Opportunity
- Replenish the Economic Opportunity Fund and the Middle Wage Jobs Fund
- Initiate and invest in programs to support legacy businesses
- Youth
- Identify revenue streams to fund youth programs focused on vocational, recreational, and learning opportunities that focus on behavioral intervention and promotes personal growth and social development.
- Expand access by making city recreational activities free to students receiving free and reduced lunch benefits in additions to Camp Best Friends and pool access
- Expand network of recreation fields for youth sports and programs
- Parks/Greenways
- Significantly increase funding to support comprehensive maintenance, repairs, and capital investments as we continue to increase our greenspace inventory across the city
- Provide funding to recreation centers across the city to both increase FTEs for program delivery and to add Saturday and Sunday programming
- Identify new, dedicated sources of funding to sustain higher levels of investment in parks and arts, including increase of millage allocation
- 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
- Fund a citywide trails master plan and continue investing in greenway projects (e.g. “Atlanta Reach” Phase 1)
- Explore conversion of neglected/blighted parcels into neighborhood pocket parks
Infrastructure/Quality of Life
- Increase funding for pothole, sidewalk repair, bike lanes, and other “quick fix” capital projects across the city
- Work on backlog of street resurfacing backlog, prioritizing streets with a Pavement Condition Index/Score of less than 60% rating across the city; Fund a Pavement Conditions Index/Score study update by Q3 FY2024
- Identify new dedicated streams of revenue to support transportation and maintenance
- 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 safer 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
- Continue to invest in energy, environmental, and material sustainability initiatives
- E-bike rebates
- Center for Hard to Recycle Materials, city-wide composting, and other recycling programs
- Solar installation, weatherization and other initiatives in city-owned buildings
- Pilot EV fleet acquisition
- Add EV charging stations at city-owned facilities; Pilot EV fleet acquisition
- Increase investment in public space maintenance and clean up; partner with nonprofits to augment city staff
- Invest in new bicycle lane street-sweeper for all city protected bike lanes
Personnel
- Develop and invest in a strategy to address high vacancy rates across departments (particularly ADOT, DPW, DCP) to improve lagging department SLAs and increase the public’s ability to work with City Hall (permitting, inspections, licenses, etc.)
- Complete and receive Pay and Class and Span-of-Control study; Develop plan and timeline for implementation of recommendations including, if applicable:
- Increases for frontline workers not classified as first responders
- Premium pay
- Reliable/predictable increases (step, COLA, etc.)
- Prioritize and increase funding for personnel, technical assistance, and support services for the NPU system
- Invest in workforce housing program for all City of Atlanta employees, including Public Safety and first responders
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, implement a Community Policing Program, and increase number of code enforcement officers to at least 26
- Increase human and capital resource investment in License and Permits, including more code enforcement and inspection/investigation/auditing staff, in addition to supporting the implementation of ATAG III recommendations
- Fully fund a commissioner for the 911 System
- Fully fund staffing/capital needs of the APD Crime Lab and the APD Crime Information Center, and fully fund replacement of AFRD Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)