Fresh Loaf

1. Video: Midtown Atlanta parking deck collapse aftermath (Weirdly, this ain’t the first collapse tied to Hardin Construction.)

2. Inman Park Properties implosion leaves neighborhood landmarks in limbo (UPDATE: Foreclosure of Inman-owned Clermont Hotel has been delayed.)

3. Profile: Matthew Cardinale, editor of Atlanta Progressive News (Cardinale isn’t one to shy away from controversy. Just read the comments to this post …)

4. Atlanta tax hikes: Profiles in cowardice (Best chocolate eclair analogy ever.)

5. Tiffany Brown joins mayoral race! (We heart ironic punctuation — and mediocre GPAs!)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Ivory Young

One says she’s had trouble sleeping because of anonymous threats. Another received a nasty phone message described as “the most disgusting, vulgar thing I’ve ever heard.” Others have gotten e-mails labeling them the “Hate Eight.”

Yes, the eight Atlanta City Council members who voted Monday to approve a 3-mill property tax increase have been reminded over the past few days that, no matter how sincere your intentions, you can’t please everybody.

For weeks now, most of the folks who voted for the tax hike — Carla Smith, Ivory Lee Young, Jr., Natalyn Archibong, Anne Fauver, Felicia Moore, C.T. Martin, Joyce Sheperd and Ceasar Mitchell — have said most constituents indicated a willingness to pay more in taxes in return for an end to police furloughs.

With the city bean-counters expecting only $490 million in annual revenues — down from nearly $650 million a couple years back — the alternatives to a tax increase, according to Mitchell, would’ve been cutting back on weekly trash pick-up, eliminating the recycling program, closing more rec centers and parks or, perhaps, additional employee furloughs.

But now the Eight are catching hell from people whose top concern was higher taxes.

Once the dust settles on the vote and the hate mail subsides, Council members agree, the newly un-furloughed city workers are going to need to step up their game in order to meet heightened taxpayer expectations.

“There can be no excuses now for poor service delivery,” says Young. “From here on, it’s zero tolerance for mediocrity.”

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UPDATE: Word comes in that City Council might make a motion to reconsider the property-tax vote. More details to come. The move to reconsider failed. The final budget adoption will most likely take place around 1:30 p.m.

The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports the Atlanta City Council this morning narrowly approved a three mill property-tax increase that will plug a $56 million budget shortfall. The average homeowner will see his or her property tax bill increase by $240.

The 8-7 vote Monday morning to raise property taxes by 3 mills was still considered preliminary. It is contingent upon council members adopting the mayor’s $541 million fiscal 2010 budget, a vote expected to take place on Monday afternoon.

The closeness of the tax vote reflected criticism aimed at the council during several public hearings for considering a tax hike in the midst of a severe recession.

…

If the budget passes, the tax increase would allow the city to end employee furloughs during the fiscal year that starts on Wednesday. Furloughs of police officers and firefighters, and the subsequent impact on public safety, emerged as major concerns during the council’s review of Franklin’s budget.

The vote’s roll call:

Yeas: Carla Smith, Ivory Lee Young, Jr., Natalyn Archibong, Anne Fauver, Felicia Moore, C.T. Martin, Joyce Sheperd and Ceasar Mitchell.

Nays: Kwanza Hall, Cleta Winslow, Howard Shook, Clair Muller, Jim Maddox, Mary Norwood and H. Lamar Willis.

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Robby phone home — to bitch about my tax bill

Yesterday, a fresh round of robo-calls went out across Atlanta, urging homeowners to call their Council member to protest a likely tax increase. Here’s the basic script:

Your Atlanta City Council member is just days away from voting for a massive tax increase. But we can’t afford an increase in property taxes. This is your last chance to voice your concern to Council member _______ before (Thursday’s) scheduled public hearing on this multi-million-dollar tax increase. Urge (him/her) to represent the people of this district by voting “no” on the 29th. Call (him/her) at 404-______ to urge (him/her) to represent the district by and vote “no” on the 29th. Call your Council person today. This call is paid for by the Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation.

Last time, back in May, the calls were creepily anonymous, but they too came from the FCTF. Executive Director Barbara Payne later told me the organization didn’t want people to think it was trying to use the situation to boost its profile or solicit support. But apparently they realized the message carried more authority if they identified themselves.

I’m still not sure how the group decided which Council members to target, since few have gone on record to support the mayor’s proposed 3-mill tax hike. But the Taxpayers Foundation is certainly correct in guessing that, unless you live in Buckhead, your Councilman or -woman will likely vote for the increase come June 29.

Just last week, Councilman Ceasar Mitchell, who’s running for Council president, told me he’s planning to vote for the increase.

(more…)

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The Atlanta City Council’s Finance Committee voted unanimously today to send Mayor Shirley Franklin’s budget proposal — which includes a 3-mill tax hike — on to the full Council for a vote later this month. This was a formal necessity; the Council must approve an annual budget before the beginning of the next fiscal year, which starts July 1.

Last year, the final vote didn’t take place until late on June 27, which, because it was a Friday, represented the last possible moment the Council could act without being in violation of the city charter. This year, the vote is scheduled for June 29, a Monday, which gives them one more day to find a consensus if they reach a stalemate.

But chances are, they won’t.

As of this writing, I count at least nine likely votes in support of the mayor’s budget. Franklin only needs eight to win. The Finance Committee sent the budget forward without a recommendation, so no members would need to tip their hands in advance, but the chatter at City Hall is that the budget will pass.

(more…)

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Shirley aims to raise taxes

As we blogged on Tuesday, Mayor Shirley Franklin appeared before the City Council this morning to propose a 3-mill tax increase for the city’s 2010 budget, which kicks in on July 1. If approved as proposed, the unpopular furloughs for the police and fire department would end in three months.

How much is 3 mills? Franklin told the Council it was roughly a 7-percent increase for taxpayers. According to her, the way it would work out that if you own a $200,000 house, you’ll pay an additional $200 this fall. For anyone with a $1 million home, the hit is closer to $1,200.

The mayor is actually proposing less spending than was approved in the current budget — $541 million, compared to $573 million. That’s because city revenues have been steadily falling. Unfortunately, budget projections suggest the city will only collect about $485 million next year — hence, the proposed tax hike.

Last year, the Council voted unanimously to reject a much smaller tax increase, asking Franklin to instead cut personnel and services. The result was the furloughs. It’s already quite clear that this time around, it’s a whole new ball game.

(more…)

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Mayor Shirley Franklin is expected to deliver a proposed 2010 budget to Council members tomorrow that includes a 3-mill tax increase. The tax hike is designed to end the police and fire department furloughs and cover an anticipated $40 million shortfall for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. The budget needs to be approved by the Council by the end of June.

I haven’t heard back from the mayor’s spokespeople, but this all seems quite credible. I’ve also been told that Franklin is confident that she can get the eight Council votes needed to pass her budget — a turnaround from last year, when the Council rejected her call for a much smaller tax increase and unanimously approved a budget that actually included a microscopic property tax cut.

Does she really have the votes? Well, earlier today my colleague Thomas Wheatley was interviewing Councilwoman Anne Fauver about her decision not to run for re-election. He asked if she had any regrets.

Answered Fauver: “Had I been better educated by the administration about the financial state of the city, I would’ve voted for a small tax increase last year to help cover the pending budget shortfall and the impact of changes in the pension system. I was not fully educated and I would’ve gone along with a small tax increase if I had known all there was to know.”

Young Thomas then asked if there was any chance she might get to revisit that decision this year.

Said Fauver: “There is.”

The public-safety furloughs have taken a huge political toll on the denizens of City Hall over the last year. Groups like Atlantans Together Against Crime, which yesterday held a rally attended by the top three candidates for mayor, have put a great deal of pressure on the Council to find a way to return cops and firefighters to work.

In other words, the opposition to a tax increase is certainly weakening. It remains to be seen if it’s weakened enough to give Franklin the eight votes she needs.

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The Atlanta City Council officially approved a new budget this afternoon that not only doesn’t include the .43 mill tax hike recommended by Mayor Shirley Franklin, but actually includes a modest tax rollback.

It’s a scenario that wouldn’t have been predicted even two weeks ago when the city was still $40 million short of making up a projected $140 million shortfall in the FY 2009 budget.

The council unanimously approved the budget which, according to Finance Committee Chairman Howard Shook, has not happened in years. “We definitely suspended the political dynamics to work together,” he said.

The $570.8 million budget restores the cuts in the City Solicitors Office and the city’s public defender program. It also restores code enforcement officers cut by Franklin.

The budget approved by the council includes almost $14.6 million in cuts, which will be accomplished through an across-the-board 2.5 percent cut in each city department. Council members said that the bulk of that, $13.4 million, can be done by not filling vacant positions.

Franklin reacted angrily, saying that anyone who believes the city can cut an additional $14.6 million without laying off current employees doesn’t understand the operations of a city government.
“The budget decision of the council today is among the worse I have seen in my almost 20 year professional career and it will have negative ramifications for the quality of life in this city,” she said in a statement.

Franklin has line-item veto power, but the unanimous vote makes the budget all but veto-proof.

“This is a risky choice in a bad economy, and the people of Atlanta will have to bear the burden of the council’s decision to not do what is in the best interest of the residents,” Franklin said.

The council also reduced its own budget by $1.3 million and expects to generate an additional $2 million through the sale of taxicab decals currently held by the city.

Shook said members are counting on extra revenue from a tax digest that has “sky-rocketed” in the city — almost 20 percent on average — and especially with commercial property. He also said the city has to look at ways to generate more income through police tickets, code enforcement and the municipal court system.

“We’re politicians and we listen to our constituents,” he said. “They were very clear about being unhappy with a property tax increase.”

Shook said he hopes the mayor will not create a “feud” with the council by closing swimming pools or recreation centers.

At a late afternoon press conference, Council President Lisa Borders tried to strike a conciliatory tone with Franklin. “This is a very tough economic time for everyone,” she said. “The council wanted to give ultimate flexibility to the mayor on the across-the-board 2.5 percent cuts. We wanted to meet with the mayor. We’re open-minded and want to have conversations with the mayor.”

Shook echoed that sentiment. “We want to work with her,” he said. “I hope she spends the weekend kicking furniture, and then comes back Monday ready to work together.”

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