Atlanta City Council approves FY25 budget, $6M fresh food investment

District 7 Atlanta City Council member and Finance Executive Committee Chair Howard Shook during the FY25 Budget Briefings

ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council adopted the City’s budget for Fiscal Year 2025, which begins July 1, 2024 (24-O-1101). The general fund budget totals approximately $854 million. The Council also adopted the ad valorem tax millage rate (24-O-1100) and personnel actions (24-O-1234) for the fiscal year.

Other items approved include:

• An ordinance authorizing the transfer of $6 million to fund the Atlanta Development Authority’s Invest Atlanta Grocery and Fresh Food Providers initiative to increase access to fresh food in low-income, low-access neighborhoods in Atlanta. The goal is to improve access to affordable fresh food within a half-mile of at least 85 percent of Atlanta residents by 2025 (24-O-1278).

District 11 Atlanta City Council member Marci Collier Overstreet introduced legislation to transfer $6 million to help increase access to fresh food for low-income families

• An ordinance to amend the City of Atlanta’s regulations related to taxicab and rideshare services to raise the permissible age of vehicles operating at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport from seven years to 10 years to maintain a level playing field among vehicle-for-hire services (24-O-1031).
• A resolution authorizing the donation of $2.2 million to 10 nonprofits including Communities in Schools of Atlanta ($500,000), PATH Foundation ($400,000), and Atlanta Victim Assistance ($300,000). This item was an immediate consideration and sent to the mayor’s office post-haste.
• An ordinance authorizing application for and acceptance of $10.7 million in funding from the Georgia Department of Transportation Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant program. Funds will be used for resurfacing projects in locations throughout the city (24-O-1205).
• An ordinance amending the Atlanta Department of Labor and Employment Services Fiscal Year 2024 budget to receive a $20,000 summer employment grant from the Citi Foundation and the CFE Fund to launch banking integration partnerships in the community (24-O-1273).
• An ordinance enabling the execution of a new U.S. Housing and Urban Development home assistance program contract with Puffin Real Estate for $247,000 in rental subsidies. The funds will be used to house 16 low-income families at the Washington Street Apartments under the City’s Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Program (24-O-1274).
• An ordinance to retroactively authorize and ratify the City’s application for a $10.8 million shelter and service grant from FEMA to provide shelter and other services to migrants (24-O-1275).

The City Council presented proclamations and recognitions in honor of Jamilah Jones; Grammy Award-winning singer Regina Belle; and the late Albert “Al” Ely Edwards, “The Father of the Juneteenth Holiday.”

Items introduced for consideration include:

• An ordinance to transfer funds, in an amount to be determined, to Invest Atlanta in support of small businesses that were affected by the recent disruption of City water service.
• An ordinance authorizing the Department of Watershed Management to adjust water and sewer service charges on customer accounts incurred due to burst water service lines.
• A resolution authorizing the application and acceptance of a $20 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant. The funds would be used to implement climate and pollution reduction strategies.
• An ordinance ratifying the Mayor’s executive order extending a moratorium on acceptance of any new rezoning and related applications for the 2.5-acre parcel formally home to Atlanta Medical Center.
• An ordinance to amend the City of Atlanta Code of Ordinance to adopt a new classification and compensation plan effective Jan. 1, 2025, to implement new pay grades, title adjustments, and a new tier grade for police and fire employees.