Atlanta mayor proposes $853 million city budget
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Mayor Andre Dickens speaks at the Atlanta History Center earlier this year. Photo: Joi Stokes/Getty Images
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens wants the City Council to approve the largest city budget in history, at $853.8 million.
Why it matters: Leaders have to pass the city government's spending plan by June 30 before the new fiscal year begins July 1.
Budget highlights
Infrastructure: $30 million would go toward two new fire stations, modernization of Atlanta's municipal buildings, and work to address years of deferred maintenance.
Public safety: Dickens wants to spend $29.8 million on public safety.
- $19.4 million for Motorola Radios, APD/AFRD vehicles, and equipment.
- $3.8 million for body-worn camera maintenance, cloud storage and support.
- $2.1 million for citywide security camera maintenance.
Employees: $24.3 million would go toward Atlanta's city employees.
- $9.5 million to implement Atlanta's compensation study.
- $8.2 million to increase staffing levels and fill vacancies.
- $5.3 million to integrate premium pay into regular pay for eligible employees.
- $500,000 in citywide professional development.
Housing: Dickens proposes committing $17 million to the city's Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
- This is 2% of the general fund, as required in the 2021 legislation creating the trust fund.
- The funds will also support Atlanta's Housing Help Center, new housing construction and retrofit efforts, and the office-to-housing conversion of downtown's 2 Peachtree building.
Youth: $6.8 million would support youth programming.
- $3 million for Atlanta's Year of the Youth initiative.
- $1.8 million for At-Promise Youth Centers.
- $2 million for the third installment of Atlanta's Summer Youth Employment Program.
- Plus: Additional investments in young people are proposed elsewhere within the budget, including the Department of Labor and Employment Services' youth program and the Department of Parks and Recreation.
The big picture: Combined with other revenue funds and the watershed and aviation departments, the city manages $2.75 billion.
The intrigue: A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for Atlanta's Public Safety Training Center by "year-end 2024," according to the budget proposal document.
- Its opening is targeted for fiscal year 2025, which runs from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.
Worthy of your time: The mayor's proposed budget is available online. City Hall is soliciting comments and questions from residents at [email protected].
What's next: City Council is hosting several city department briefings and hearings on the mayor's proposed budget, beginning Wednesday at City Hall.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include additional information.