A concern for host cities ahead of next month’s FIFA World Cup has been that hotel reservations have been coming in more slowly than expected. But they’re picking up – and Atlanta industry leaders say their city is doing better than most. A survey from the American Hotel & Lodging Association found that about half of Atlanta hoteliers said booking were “in line with or ahead of expectations,” the second-best of any host city. 213,000 hotel rooms are now booked for the 30-odd days where Atlanta will host matches – and the knockout round matches, including a semifinal, aren’t even set yet. FIFA hotel demand in Georgia is RISING…
Atlanta, Fulton Co. square off in tax fight
The City of Atlanta has long used tax allocation districts (TADs) as an economic development tool, leveraging property tax increases to pay for local infrastructure projects. But the Fulton County Commission has slammed on the brakes, voting 4-1 to reject a proposed 30-year extension of Atlanta’s TADs. That sets up a major budgetary clash, as the Fulton TADs would be expected to generate over a billion dollars over that period. Now the county will vote on TADs on a case by case basis, with stricter oversight and enforcement, leaving Atlanta’s money faucet DRIFTING…
