A.M. ATL: Just a TAD

Morning, y’all! We really underestimate the power of light, especially during the months when a lot of us wake up in the dark and barely arrive home to see the sunset. Light therapy is a real thing! Your circadian rhythm depends on sunlight to stay regular. And if you can’t get some natural sun time, store-bought will do.

Let’s get to it.

LET’S TALK TAX ALLOCATION DISTRICTS

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens speaks next to Chief of Staff/Chief Policy Officer Courtney English during a press conference to unveil the Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens wants to fund an ambitious $5 billion plan for transit, housing and infrastructure improvements using a tool called a tax allocation district, or TAD. Currently, Atlanta’s City Council is considering his request to extend eight TADs through 2055.

We’ve talked about this before, but it’s time for some deeper clarity on what, exactly, a TAD is.

What TADs do:

• Tax allocation districts are, at the basic level, a sort of loan or bond to finance development in certain areas.
• They draw on property tax revenue with the assumption that property tax values will increase as developments and improvements are made.
• A baseline of tax revenue is set, and everything up to that base is used as normal. Anything above that base is set aside to fund the developments. Kind of like building the plane while you’re flying it, in an ideal world, TADs fund projects while they’re being built.

Why TADs can be controversial:

• In Atlanta, City Council members are torn. Many say TADs do help get big projects across the finish line, and some recent projects, like Beltline additions, wouldn’t have been possible without them.
• However, there’s an element of inequality at play. Some council members say TADs can lead to gentrification, don’t equally benefit underprivileged areas and tie up funds that could be used for other improvements. Still, others are supportive of TADs but question how long such arrangements should stay in effect.

Thank you for coming to my TAD talk.

🔎 READ MORE: To TAD or not to TAD? City Council members share complicated, nuanced opinions on Dickens’ plans

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SAFETY VS. TIME ON THE BELTLINE

Atlanta leaders are pushing for a light rail along the city's 22-mile trail system that connects dozens of intown Atlanta neighborhoods.

It’s no secret Atlanta wants to make big changes to Beltline development and transit — and make them fast. Some residents worry Beltline safety could take a backseat in such a whirlwind.

• An Atlanta man started a petition for more safety guidelines on the Beltline, specifically to address the dangerous cocktail of walkers, runners, bikers, rollerbladers, scooter-ers and those scary e-bike things.
• He proposes things like speed limits, specific lanes for pedestrians and lines to divide opposite flows of traffic.
• However, if it’s taken on, such suggestions would surely slow Beltline development. Is it worth it? The AJC’s Nedra Rhone tackles the question.

MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS

✍🏼 Georgia’s Democratic congresspeople aren’t happy about the shutdown deal. They say the plan leaves millions of Georgians in danger of losing affordable health care.

🗳️ Two state House seats will be decided in special elections this December. One district is just north of Atlanta, and one district is in Athens. Both lean heavily Republican, but Democrats are still eyeing the races after a strong election showing earlier this month.

🥤 Coca-Cola sold its holdings in a major U.S. bottling partner, continuing its separation from the industry. Giving up the shares means Coca-Cola has less say in how the bottlers operate and will no longer hold a spot on the board.

SAVANNAH FINDS ITS RUNNING GROOVE

Road race courses in Savannah tend to pass along the streets of the city's downtown, with its stately live oak trees and historic homes.

The sometimes disruptive nature of road races in Savannah, particularly marathons with 26.2-mile-long courses, has left some residents less than enthusiastic about returning the runners’ embrace.

That tension peaked in recent years, with city leaders running two large-field marathons out of town: the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon and Team Milk’s Every Woman’s Marathon.

Still, as the AJC’s Adam Van Brimmer reports, officials aren’t ready to give up on high-profile running events. They see value in a signature race and are taking a cue from Atlanta’s AJC Peachtree Road Race: Shorter is better.

Enter the Savannah Southern Half-Marathon, debuting Saturday. More than 6,000 runners — including about 2,500 from out of town — have registered for either the 13.1-mile feature race or a 5K along part of the same course.

🔎 READ MORE: How the race compares to its banished predecessors

NEWS BITES

A massive, historic 9.5-carat “Mellon Blue” diamond is up for auction

Yeah, that diamond’s haunted for sure.

What’s coming to Atlanta museums and college galleries this season?

A great resource if you want to impress any holiday visitors you have in town.

Why Georgia officials roll 10-sided dice to audit elections

Seems like a super weird Dungeons & Dragons campaign, but OK.

Arthur Blank will invest $350 million in a new National Women’s Soccer League expansion team for Atlanta

Oh, heck yeah, time to brainstorm names. Maybe something train-related: The Hoggers or Hotshots? The Greeners (a type of Georgia peanut)? The Fire Wings? Maybe news writers shouldn’t name sports teams.

ON THIS DATE

Nov. 12, 1985