Mayor says Atlanta poised for greatness

Despite deepening financial challenges that have forced the closing of a fire station, nearly two dozen recreation centers and the layoffs of about 300 workers, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin said Monday the city has a “bright” future.

Franklin used her final State of the City address to the Atlanta City Council to outline a list of accomplishments she said has put the city on “the threshold of greatness.”

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Rich Addicks /raddicks@ajc.com

In her State of the City speech, Mayor Shirley Franklin cited improvements in safety and infrastructure.

“As much as we have accomplished, we have many more mountains to climb,” the mayor said in her 15-minute speech.

Franklin’s term expires at the end of this year. The two-term incumbent is legally prohibited from running for a third consecutive term as mayor.

Here are some issues Franklin touched on Monday:

CITY OPERATIONS

Atlanta faces a projected budget shortfall of at least $50 million, which is largely due to less money from property taxes, sales taxes, permitting fees and other city revenues.

Franklin told reporters after her speech Monday that she hopes President-elect Barack Obama will enact a “robust” economic stimulus package that will help cities like Atlanta.

Franklin said in her speech the city has saved $100 million through such cutbacks as streamlining the city’s court operations. She said her administration has used recommendations from Bain Consulting to improve how city government is run, but critics argue Franklin has not implemented some of their ideas.

PUBLIC SAFETY

The mayor said Atlanta’s crime statistics have improved so much that the city, with America’s second-highest crime ranking when she took office in 2002, now ranks 15th. Franklin noted the city has added more than 300 sworn police personnel during her administration.

But Atlanta police Sgt. Scott Kreher told reporters Monday property crimes are rising, largely because the department needs more officers. He said the recent furloughs of police officers will result in more crime and lower morale among officers.

“It’s in the tank,” Kreher, leader of Atlanta’s police union, said of morale. “It’s the worst I’ve seen in my 17 years.”

INFRASTRUCTURE

As the self-described “sewer mayor,” Franklin is leading a $4 billion effort to improve Atlanta’s water quality and sewer system.

In November, the city completed the first half of the project on time and under budget.

But Atlanta has other infrastructure challenges. Franklin’s staff says the city needs about $750 million to improve city streets, bridges, sidewalks, vehicles and traffic.

“We can’t wait until 2030 to build our infrastructure,” the mayor said in her speech.

City officials propose using bonds and federal and state grants to help pay for the improvements. The city has spent between $50 million and $60 million a year on capital infrastructure projects.

Franklin said Monday the city has added 1,179 acres of green space since 2001, a 37 percent increase.

The mayor noted the Beltline project, a loop around the city that is supposed to add more parks and trails during the next quarter-century.