Just in the nick of time ahead of the start of the fiscal year on July 1, the Atlanta City Council gave unanimous approval for Mayor Andre Dickens first proposed budget. Totaling approximately $734 million, the budget for the general fund includes a number of new measures for public safety, increased parks and greenspace, and employee retention efforts. The budget is just over a 3 percent increase from last year, largely thanks to increased revenue from property and sales taxes.
“My people-first budget invests in the people who deliver for the residents of Atlanta,” said Mayor Dickens. “The strength of our City comes from the dedication of the police officers, firefighters, frontline workers and all other employees who serve our residents and visitors. Thank you to the City Council, the Chief Financial Officer, my full Cabinet, staff members and all involved in the process for producing a thoughtful, deliberate budget we can all be proud of – a budget that moves Atlanta forward.”
Among many notable items was the first cost of living adjustment for city employees in five years, raises for firefighters and additional funding to hire more police offers, and more than $65 million to combat the homelessness problem that is increasingly apparent for residents of or visitors to the city. Police officers have already received a raise through the allocation of American Rescue Plan funds and a study is underway for further adjustments next year. Their portion of the general fund budget is also the largest, at more than $230 million. The fire department comes in second with more than $100 million, leaving around $400 million for more selective items like parks or homeless services.
The popular Streets Alive program also saw increased funding, as well as new investments for parks and greenspace.
Finance and Executive Committee Chair Alex Wan thanked his fellow city councilmen and the mayor in a statement following the vote.
“This is a budget that allows our city to boost investment in critical areas and works to address urgent needs, including providing reliable City services across all neighborhoods,” Wan said. “It also charts a brighter course for Atlanta’s future by adding additional dollars for our aging infrastructure and building a greener and environmentally focused city. The budget also reaffirms our commitment to retaining our workforce with more competitive pay and a cost-of-living adjustment for employees. After this robust process, I’m grateful to my Council colleagues, our Research and Policy staff, our City’s Finance Department, and the mayor and his team for their collaboration and their thoughtful work in meeting the needs of our city.”
Something to remember regarding Atlanta’s budget, the school system is separately funded and the Atlanta Board of Education approved a nearly $1.5 billion budget earlier this month. MARTA is also funded separately and that $1.3 billion budget was approved by the MARTA board last week. Additionally, the airport, water and sewer, and 911 services are funded outside of the general fund, ultimately adding up to an “actual” budget of more than $2 billion.
