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DEL.ICIO.USMayor Shirley Franklin makes her case to Atlanta Rotary
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Before she started her luncheon talk today, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin received a standing ovation from most members of the Rotary Club of Atlanta.
But more importantly, the mayor also received a standing ovation at the end of her talk And several of the people who didn’t stand up the first time, rose to their feet.
Franklin went to great lengths explaining the city’s current budget crisis and her plans to have a balanced budget in 2009. The original estimate was that the city would have a $140 million deficit due to a host of factors including a change in the city’s accounting process, a change in its fiscal year, a decrease in building permits, rising health costs, flat sales taxes and increased operating expenses.
When looking to a possible budget cuts or the raising of taxes or fees, Franklin said she took public safety off the table. Public safety accounts for 55 percent of the city’s general fund budget.
Currently the city has 1,800 police officers with 45 vacancies. When she came into office in 2002, there were 1,442 officers. Still, she acknowledged the city is short of the 2,000 officers that she would like the city to have.
After other budget cuts and increased fees, Franklin said there still was a $40 million shortfall. She is proposing to cover that shortfall with increased property taxes.
Many of the Rotarians live in Buckhead, one of the wealthiest areas of the city that would have to shoulder much of that property tax increase.
When the mayor was pointedly asked about property taxes in Buckhead, she reminded Rotarians that the city’s share of their property tax bill is 23 cents. The balance goes to the Atlanta Public Schools and Fulton County. She also told them that when she came into office, the city’s share was 27 cents on the dollar.
Mayor Franklin then took a strong stand on how the state should share its revenues with cities and towns across Georgia, a common practice in most other states.
In fact, with the exception of West Virginia (which ranks 50th), Franklin said Georgia (49th) provides the least amount of revenue sharing with its cities than any other state. By comparison, about 25 percent of Boston’s budget comes from the state of Massachusetts.
“We don ‘t have that option,” she said, adding she hopes that will change. “This state in the next 10 years is going to have to look at revenue sharing. Sooner or later, we are going to have to look at the formula.”
Franklin also spoke of the investments her administration has made in the city, including water and sewer improvements as well as the development of the fifth runway.
“Atlanta can’t be great unless we invest,” she said. “We are determined to leave this city on firm financial footing. Otherwise the city will begin to unravel.”
As she was leaving Rotary, someone asked the mayor about her plans after her second term is up.
With a twinkle in her eye, she said she would like to run for Atlanta’s City Council, but not as president of the council. “If I run, I want a vote,” she said. “I’m just kidding.”
Comments
By Rusty
May 5, 2008 3:30 PM | Link to this
Hey Shirley girl,if the city’s tight on cash, then ask the King kids to loan you some of that $32 million (2 mil over asking price)you gave them for the MLK notes. I’m sure they’d be glad to “give back” to the community.
By Dan
May 5, 2008 3:52 PM | Link to this
so does she consider spending $1.5M on 5 public restrooms for the homeless investing? Clearly thats more important than say another 15 cops.
If people with money to invest gave to moronic politicians and liars, they wouldn’t get much of a return would they
By Hey Shirley - move to SWAT
May 5, 2008 4:13 PM | Link to this
**Why don’t the city fire shirley? She is responsible for this mess ! She could also give up her mansion and move to the ghetto and cut her own salary with a REAL salary cut ! Leave the employees alone - why should the city pay you to FAIL !! You laid off the workers- why can’t the city lay you off- since you want to help the city so much.
Forget about plans to run for Govenor or a Senator - who would want you running a state when you can’t handle a city !
By Hey Shirley - move to SWAT
May 5, 2008 4:13 PM | Link to this
**Why don’t the city fire shirley? She is responsible for this mess ! She could also give up her mansion and move to the ghetto and cut her own salary with a REAL salary cut ! Leave the employees alone - why should the city pay you to FAIL !! You laid off the workers- why can’t the city lay you off- since you want to help the city so much.
Forget about plans to run for Govenor or a Senator - who would want you running a state when you can’t handle a city !
By Hey Shirley - move to SWAT
May 5, 2008 4:13 PM | Link to this
**Why don’t the city fire shirley? She is responsible for this mess ! She could also give up her mansion and move to the ghetto and cut her own salary with a REAL salary cut ! Leave the employees alone - why should the city pay you to FAIL !! You laid off the workers- why can’t the city lay you off- since you want to help the city so much.
Forget about plans to run for Govenor or a Senator - who would want you running a state when you can’t handle a city !
By Whatever Shirley
May 5, 2008 4:14 PM | Link to this
How long have you’ve been mayor, and there are 4000 unpaid invoices? The purchasing dept. makes million dollar mistakes? They pay invoices from the wrong accounts? Didn’t you promise to fix all potholes in your first year in office?
C’mon Shirley, you can do better. There’s so much waste & bloat & mismanagement at City Hall, and it’s finally coming back to haunt you.
By Take the lead
May 5, 2008 4:19 PM | Link to this
Hey Mayor, are you cutting your own staff and travel budget by 25%???
By ed
May 5, 2008 4:27 PM | Link to this
5 bathrooms, each costing 50 percent more than the average home in Atlanta?! Atlanta has legitimate investment needs (transportation infrastructure) that will help our economy. There is no reason we should encourage vagrancy and further mar the appeal of downtown Atlanta. Spend 1.5 million on new police to patrol the area and do something worthwhile. While the entire shortfall cannot be credited to public bathrooms, this is a glaring example of the spend and tax policies that will deter economic growth in an area with tremendous growth potential.
By atlmom
May 5, 2008 5:16 PM | Link to this
Realistically, property taxes have exploded since she came into office, due to the explosion in housing prices in the city. So for Shirley to imply that she has actually lowered taxes is a falsehood. They may be lowering the millage rates, but they sure aren’t lowering or keeping the same the assessments.
By cy
May 6, 2008 7:16 AM | Link to this
I think it is time to kick her out to the streets. She is responsible for this mess. She lives in an unrealistic world where someone else (property and small business owners) are paying her way. She needs to stand up and admit to being nothing more than a good public speaker and not a leader.
I personally wrote her an email (using her email address off the city’s site) asking her or who reads the email:
do they do any community service work or anything to stay in touch with the city?
do they realize that the housing market is in trouble and raising that tax is just adding to it or are they going for a lease state?
the outlandish cell bills we hear about. why not start a trade with a specific cell company and only a lot x amount of minutes before they foot the rest. that is how the rest of the city does it. why not her office?
This was over a week ago and i have yet to get any sort of response. Kick her out. out of office and maybe even out of our city.
She gives Atlanta a bad name.
By cy
May 6, 2008 7:28 AM | Link to this
o’ and on the bathroom issue. get real. there are so many empty buildings and lots that are in downtown, midtown, even precious buckhead that could be utilized for cops, the needy, anything. it is time to re-assess and use what we have. i am sure the cops will live and the bums won’t mind. heck. it might even reduce crime just by these empty eye sores being used and not just vacant.
By Atlanta Pearl Girl
May 6, 2008 7:44 AM | Link to this
The Mayor is ONLY as good as the people under her….. the mistake that was made, is that key people were left in place from PRIOR administrations….. I have to give her credit for trying to balance this mess… and ATL CITY GOVT is MESS!!!!!!!
They need to fire EVERYONE and start from scratch……
instead of laying off people, take $$ from the top paid officials… come on!!!!
And one more thing… Shirley doesn’t live in a mansion…I’ve seen her house…very modest…. just like her….. she’s trying…but the problem…is that she keeps her PEEPS in office and needs to fire them…..
Math is an EXACT science….. who has the money?
By Atlanta Pearl Girl
May 6, 2008 7:45 AM | Link to this
The Mayor is ONLY as good as the people under her….. the mistake that was made, is that key people were left in place from PRIOR administrations….. I have to give her credit for trying to balance this mess… and ATL CITY GOVT is MESS!!!!!!!
They need to fire EVERYONE and start from scratch……
instead of laying off people, take $$ from the top paid officials… come on!!!!
And one more thing… Shirley doesn’t live in a mansion…I’ve seen her house…very modest…. just like her….. she’s trying…but the problem…is that she keeps her PEEPS in office and needs to fire them…..
Math is an EXACT science….. who has the money?
There is so much WASTE in the CITY OF ATL GOVT…their customer service SUCKS….. The attitude SUCKS period! They work for YOU! and yet they act as if they are doing you a ‘favor’ by even putting you on hold!
The Mayor really does care…. she just doesn’t realize what goes on under her feet….. she is trying.
By Grampus
May 6, 2008 8:01 AM | Link to this
Surely to God if Giuliani can turn around a city the size of New York, a comparative drop in the bucket like Atlanta can also be turned around by a competent mayor?
Never mind, I think I just answered my own question.
By Reload city hall
May 6, 2008 8:18 AM | Link to this
The bottom line is that while city government is loaded with incompetent employees, Shirley, as mayor, is responsible for all that goes on. The fact that we are in this financial mess is her responsibility as much as the idiots that did not do their jobs right. They all should be replaced by people that can demonstrate competency to do the job. This is a city government, not a jobs program. Also, why are all options not being discussed for recovery besides just raising taxes? The privitization of the airport (an idea squashed by Shirley and Delta years ago) could generate many millions of $$$ for the city. Another thing, yesterday on the AJC Rant somebody mentioned valuable parcels of land in neighboring counties that the city owns. If this is true, why are we not hearing more about these assets that could be sold to bail ourselves out? We need a property tax rollback and freeze, not an increase. We should have a vote to recall Shirley Franklin. WE NEED CLARK HOWARD FOR MAYOR
By SWATS
May 6, 2008 8:41 AM | Link to this
Shirley Franklin does live in the ghetto and not in a mansion
By londale
October 27, 2008 4:30 PM | Link to this
Its funny how so many people are turning against her saying that it is all of her fault. When things were going well in the city, no one had any complaints. When revenues were coming up short and things weren’t going as well, now people have things to say. One, the reason police men in atlanta(fulton county) are being laid off is because of the foreclosures. Thats how police officers and firemen are paid, by the taxes from homeowners. She is not the only one at fault.