Atlanta council members: No money for raises

As Atlanta grapples with a projected budget shortfall of at least $50 million, some City Council members say now is not the time to propose salary increases for the next mayor and council.

Councilwoman Felicia Moore introduced the legislation at a committee meeting Monday.

“Right now, the city is not in shape to give anybody a raise,” Moore said.

A five-member citizen commission recently released a report suggesting Atlanta’s next mayor should be paid an annual salary of $225,000, a more than 50 percent increase of the current officeholder, Shirley Franklin.

Franklin currently makes $147,500. The commission — appointed by the mayor, City Council and city Board of Education — said the mayor is underpaid. The commission didn’t propose salary increases for the council.

The council will likely vote on the salaries next month. Any changes would take effect in 2010, when the new mayor and City Council take office.

Council members, who held their last scheduled voting meeting Monday, were in a giving mood.

They unanimously voted to take nearly $200,000 from their individual council accounts to help pay salaries of city workers. Mayor Shirley Franklin is cutting city workers’ hours — and pay — by 10 percent to deal with the shortfall. Rather than reduce the hours worked by their two dozen staff members, City Council members are contributing the $200,000 to the city’s general fund to cover the cost of that work.

In other matters Monday:

• Council members approved a long-term transportation plan for the city. The plan, projected to cost at least $3.3 billion, includes streetcars along Peachtree Street, widening some busy roads, adding bicycle lanes, improving traffic signals and building sidewalks. It’s unclear where the city will get the money.

• The council passed a resolution banning the city from doing business with companies that have oil and energy operations in Iran and Sudan. Both nations are on the State Department list of terrorism sponsors. Atlanta is believed to be the first major U.S. city to have such guidelines.

• Atlantans who use broadband Internet connections for their home telephone service will now be charged $1.50 a month for the service. The money will offset the city’s cost to operate its 911 system.