Mayor hopeful Atlanta could get stimulus funding

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin said Thursday she hopes President-elect Barack Obama’s economic stimulus package will mean more money for Atlanta to hire police officers and firefighters and to repair broken bridges, roads and sidewalks.

The mayor discussed the issues with reporters Thursday after giving her final State of the City breakfast to Atlanta’s business, civic and political leaders. Franklin’s four-year term ends this year and she cannot run for another consecutive term.

“We’re still in the arena,” Franklin said during her 20-minute speech at the Omni Hotel.

The city has severe financial challenges, which it blames on drops in property and sales taxes and permitting fees. Franklin last month laid off more than 200 city workers and temporarily closed a fire station and about two dozen recreation centers to cover a projected $50 million budget shortfall. She has warned more cuts and layoffs may happen if city revenues don’t improve.

Atlanta would welcome Obama’s help. Franklin said the city has a $500 million list of projects it could start with federal funds at its airport and to improve its water system, roads, sidewalks and bridges.

“Will we get a half-billion dollars? I don’t know that we will. But the fact of the matter is Atlanta has shovel-ready projects and experience in delivering infrastructure on time,” Franklin said.

Franklin also said she needs the help of city business leaders to pay off the loan to keep papers written by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., along with construction costs for the Civil and Human Rights Center.

The mayor was part of an effort in 2006 to keep King’s papers in Atlanta, rather than see them sold at an auction. SunTrust agreed to loan community leaders money to buy the papers and Franklin and others have helped raised about $26 million to repay the loan.

About $8 million to $10 million is still owed to SunTrust, Franklin said Thursday. The deadline to repay the loan is July.

Franklin is also involved in the effort to build a $100 million Civil and Human Rights Center next to the World of Coca-Cola. She said about $50 million to $60 million has been raised.

Franklin said she’s optimistic the rest of the money for construction can be raised, although many philanthropic groups says donations have declined because of the recession.

“It’s hard to raise money in this environment, but [the center] is a national project and I think we’ll get there,” she said.