The Atlanta City Council approved an amended $593.1 million general fund budget for 2016 during a special called meeting on Wednesday, June 24.
Voting yea: Councilmembers Carla Smith, Kwanza Hall, Ivory Lee Young, Jr., Cleta Winslow, Natalyn Archibong, Alex Wan, Howard Shook, Yolanda Adrean, C.T. Martin, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Joyce Sheperd, Michael Julian Bond, Mary Norwood and Andre Dickens
Voting nay: Councilmember Felicia Moore
The 2016 budget represents a four percent increase over Atlanta’s 2015 budget of $567 million, with the bulk of new spending allocated to infrastructure repairs not included in the $250 million bond package for city upgrades voters approved in March. As part of the 2016 budget, Atlanta’s Fire Rescue Department, the Atlanta Police Department, the Department of Parks and Recreation and Information Technology will all receive additional funding.
The administration has stressed that priorities for the upcoming fiscal year will include public safety, youth development programs, and economic development.
Funding for the budget will come from a forecasted increase in sales taxes, projected growth of the property tax digest and increased ticket fines, according to City Chief Financial Officer Jim Beard.
Budgetary amendments included an additional $500,000 in funding for the city’s economic development arm, Invest Atlanta; and additional $1 million for parks and recreation programming and park maintenance throughout the city in FY16. The Atlanta City Council also set aside $4 million to help settle a funding dispute between Atlanta Public Schools and the Atlanta BeltLine over fixed annual payments from the BeltLine Tax Allocation District, or TAD, to APS.
