Big tax breaks given to business by unelected Atlanta-area boards

Unelected agencies are giving big tax breaks to recruit businesses to metro Atlanta, a system that promotes development by relying on public financial support.

The cost of these tax deals often isn’t clear. State and local governments don’t track the overall number of deals made or the total value of tax benefits.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that about $500 million in property tax breaks have been awarded to businesses in DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett and Cobb counties and the city of Atlanta over the last three years.

Critics question whether these incentives, distributed by local agencies known as development authorities, are transparent, fair and accountable.

Please read more about how businesses benefit from generous public financial support on MyAJC.com.

About the Author

Mark Niesse

Mark Niesse covers voting rights and elections for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He also reports on the Georgia House of Representatives and government. He has been a reporter at the AJC since 2013 following a decade at The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Ala.