Inside City Hall: Does Atlanta need a tax increase to maintain its parks?

Atlanta may soon increase its millage rate for park funding after City Council completed the second of three required readings to amend the city’s charter at last week’s meeting.

An ordinance sponsored by City Councilman Dustin Hillis would increase the property tax rate for the city’s park improvement fund from half a mill to one mill to generate more revenue for recreation department projects. Hillis said he sponsored the ordinance because it’s been decades since the city has established a strong commitment for park maintenance.

“The last time this was even touched was when the new city charter was adopted in the 70s when this body came into existence from its Board of Aldermen predecessor,” Hillis said at a committee meeting last month.

“It is well past time to do something about this.”

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Hillis said the parks fund currently brings in nearly $16 million annually. He said 90% of those dollars are spent on land acquisition. That leaves only $1.6 million a year for park maintenance.

If the ordinance is approved, Hillis said the fund will be get an additional $11.2 million a year for maintenance. He also said the millage increase would provide another $1.6 million for safety and security, including more park rangers and cameras.

The ordinance requires a third round of approval from the council’s committees before the full council can enact it because it would amend the city’s charter. It will likely appear before the council’s Community Development/Human Services Committee and its Finance Executive Committee on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Additionally, the city is hosting two public hearings on June 14 for residents to comment on the millage rate proposal. The first hearing is currently scheduled for noon, and the other hearing is slated to start at 6 p.m.

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Credit: Daniel Varnado

Forest Cove: The property owner of the condemned Forest Cove Apartments is about to lose its federal funding for the decrepit complex, according to a spokeswoman from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

HUD says it’s going to redirect those funds towards relocating the residents and putting them in a different tenant-based Section 8 voucher called the Tenant Protection Voucher.

Millennia Companies spokeswoman Felicia Naoum told us the property owner still wants to rehabilitate Forest Cove, but we doubt the city is going to play ball with them. A court-ordered demolition hearing for the property is scheduled for July 3.

Credit: Photo credit: Erin Sintos

Beltline: The Beltline and Invest Atlanta recently closed on $1.17 million in grant funding to support the Atlanta Land Trust and Intown Builders in developing 29 permanently affordable townhomes for home buyers in Oakland City. The grant comes from the Beltine Tax Allocation District’s Increment Fund.

According to the Beltline, the $12 million Avenue at Oakland City project will offer 36 two- and three-bedroom townhomes, including 13 priced for buyers earning 80% of the area median income, or $73,520 for a family of three. Prices will start at $186,000 and some buyers will qualify for down-payment assistance. The Beltline said move-ins are slated for the end of the year.

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Hat tip: We wanted to give a shoutout to Capital B Atlanta for their own work covering the city’s intricate budget process. Last month, Capital B reported on City Hall’s plans to decrease funding for the Atlanta Department of Transportation by more than $7 million and cut its employee ranks by three amid a years-long backlog of road projects.

We previously told you that several councilmembers want ATLDOT to keep its $7 million. However, ATLDOT Commissioner Solomon Caviness told the council last month that the proposed budget, as well as other capital improvement revenues, will be enough to improve the city’s roads.

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