Residents speak out against tax proposal
They didn't come to Atlanta City Hall with bullhorns —- but about three dozen homeowners spoke loudly Thursday against Mayor Shirley Franklin's proposal to raise property taxes to cover a $56 million budget gap.
A property tax hike would bump up Atlanta's property tax rate for general services from 7.12 mills to 10.12 mills, a 42 percent increase. City officials say the increase would equate to about $250 more in taxes for the average homeowner. The mayor's proposed budget is $541 million.
Many speakers said they can't afford more taxes in a recession.
"It's not about the city's distress. We're talking about people's lives," said Barbara White, who spoke during the first of two public hearings Thursday.
The mayor has said the tax increase would pay to end furloughs on city workers. If the tax increase is not passed, Chief Financial Officer Jim Glass said Thursday more recreation centers may be closed.
Resident Leslie Bladen yelled near the end of a morning budget presentation by Glass that a tax increase would severely hurt middle-income Atlantans.
"What you are doing is driving the middle class out," she told the council.
Cascade area resident Flora Solomon was one of the few speakers in favor of the increase, saying she supports it if it will end the furloughs. "We need our police officers. We need our firefighters," she said Thursday night.
Glass noted the city has laid off more than 600 workers since May 2008, frozen hundreds of vacant positions and will spend less on pensions this year.
Speaker after speaker accused city leaders of mismanagement and urged more creativity, such as a commuter tax on non-residents who work in the city. Any such tax must be approved by the Legislature.
Resident Lewis Nix said he paid $680 in property taxes when he bought his home in 1974, but last year, his tax bill was $15,000.
The City Council is scheduled to vote on the budget, and the property tax rate, at a special meeting Monday.
About the Author
Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He currently writes about higher education and has assisted in the newsroom’s COVID-19 vaccine coverage. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.
