Mayor, City Officials Give Budget Update
Yesterday, Mayor Shirley Franklin joined City officials to update stakeholders on the City’s response to a projected FY ’08 budget shortfall.
With members of the Atlanta City Council and news media in attendance, Mayor Franklin promised to maintain a transparent process while City departments work together to mitigate the projected shortfall. CFO Janice Davis has estimated that the shortfall could be $70 million, but cautions that figure could be more or less, depending on revenue the City will receive this year, among other factors.
Presenting a balanced FY ’09 budget was the topic of Mayor Franklin’s address. “We are tackling simultaneous issues. The City will receive less in revenues in FY’ 08. Couple that with the budget shortfall and higher-than-expected national costs
-- like rising fuel and employee health insurance and pensions – and we are challenged with presenting a balanced budget for FY ’09,” said Mayor Franklin.
Immediate actions include a city-wide hiring freeze and a drastic reduction in departmental spending. “There will be many meetings between City department heads, the Mayor’s Office and the CFO to find a solution,” Mayor Franklin continued. “I don’t have the ability to change the local economy. But I will continue to offer transparency and candor and keep all of our various stakeholders abreast of what we learn, when we learn it.”
The shortfall comes during the third phase of a citywide governmental reform program to establish a fiscally sound, best-in-class Atlanta. Established in 2002, the first two phases successfully eliminated previous debt, restructured internal operations and invested in City infrastructure, technology and service delivery. The City’s recent move from cash-based accounting to accrual based accounting and the implementation of an integrated financial management system are forward steps toward financial best practices.
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Atlanta Continues Ban on Outdoor Watering
The Department of Watershed Management (DWM) announced today that Atlanta will continue its current ban on outdoor watering.
Although the governor approved loosening restrictions – including one 25-minute hand watering per day – the state maintained local utilities reduce usage by ten percent, and gave local utilities the responsibility of deciding how best to meet that goal.
“We are still in a Level 4 drought. It would be irresponsible for us to relax our outdoor watering restrictions,” Mayor Shirley Franklin said. “We still are under an obligation to cut our use 10 percent. We can’t allow outdoor watering and meet that goal.”
A 30-day exemption for new landscaping is still in place, but the City will not continue to exempt watering for lawn over-seeding and aeration. Pools are exempt from the restrictions, effective immediately. “Atlanta gets very, very hot during the summer, and we want children and families to have access to pools,” said Mayor Franklin.
During a news conference, where she joined DWM Commissioner Rob Hunter, Mayor Franklin said: “Lake Lanier levels have dropped significantly over the past three years. On February 17, 2006, the lake was 1.97 feet below full pool. A year later, it was 4.85 feet below full pool. On February 17, 2008, it was 18.32 feet below full pool.”
“In other words, Lake Lanier is 13.5 feet below where it was at this time last year, and it is .2 feet lower than it was in November,” Mayor Franklin continued. “We are still in a very serious drought. Atlanta is a city that leads by example and best practices. Conservation is a best practice.”
Conservation tips are available at www.atlantawatershed.org. The City’s water usage figures are posted on www.atlantawatershed.org every weekday.
Mayor Shirley Franklin joins Rob Hunter, commissioner, Department of Watershed Management and Melinda Langston, DWM manager of conservation programs, at a news conference announcing Atlanta’s continued ban on outdoor watering. |
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Mayor’s Youth Program Profile: Hannah Bohannon
Since 2005, the Mayor’s Youth Program (MYP) has assisted hundreds of Atlanta Public Schools (APS) seniors – like Hannah Bohannon (’07) – with their next step post-graduation, whether it’s a paid internship, financial assistance for college, certification training or the workforce.
Hannah Bohannon, a Washington High School graduate, was a 2007 MYP participant. As a freshman at Georgia Perimeter College, Hannah received financial assistance for books and a laptop computer, but it was the internship she received through the program that she says made the greatest impact on her life post-graduation. Read Hannah’s experience below in her words.
“In the summer of 2007, a week after my high school graduation, I became a Technology Intern at the Atlanta Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (ACVB). I had so much fun. The internship started on June 4 and ended on July 27.
Working with the members of ACVB was phenomenal. I learned so much there - from learning how to be business-oriented to being a true team player. Everyday I was learning something new to add on to what I had learned the pervious day, and I was loving it.
This internship taught me what it would be like to have a career in hospitality, as well as in technology. My daily tasks consisted of running data backups for offsite storage, installing software, updating computers, and fixing technical issues.
I honestly believe that this internship not only prepared me for the corporate world but also brought my business characteristics to light.
I would like to thank Mayor Shirley Franklin for the great opportunity to participate in the Mayor’s Youth Program and the ACVB “Diversity in the Hospitality Industry Summit.” Without these experiences, none of this would have been possible.”
Visit www.mayorsyouthprogram.com for more stories and information on this program.
The Mayor’s Youth Program assists hundreds of Atlanta Public Schools seniors each year with the transition from high school to their next phase of life. |
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Department of Public Works Prepares to Launch New Solid Waste Collection Process
Beginning March 3, 2008, the Office of Solid Waste Services will implement a new solid waste collection process that will establish long-term improvements in operations, customer service and environmental sustainability.
To ensure efficient, timely and safe collection of solid waste from all customers, the Department of Public Works (DPW) has redistributed households into more balanced service areas, which will result in new collection days for most of Atlanta’s residents. The new collection improvements will not only create a more cost-efficient collection process, but residents will benefit from a safer, cleaner, greener Atlanta
The most noticeable changes in the new solid waste collection process include:
- New collection days for most customers.
- Weekly collection of waste materials (garbage, recycling and yard waste).
- Yard waste will not be collected in plastic bags. It must be placed in paper yard waste (kraft) bags or a container clearly labeled “yard trimmings.”
- Only 5 additional bags of garbage are allowed in addition to the contents of your Herbie Curbie for garbage collection.
For more information, call the DPW Customer Service Division at 404.330.6333 or visit here.
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ATL 26 is “Celebrating Black History Month” by remembering the man who started it all - Carter G. Woodson. Woodson - an African American historian, author and journalist – wanted the world to know about African-American achievements, past and present, thus resulting in celebrating Black History Month. Watch this brief presentation of Woodson’s life and learn a little more about Black History.
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Rave Reviews!
- The Fort McPherson and Fort Gillem redevelopment projects have been selected as finalists in the “Best Atlanta Real Estate Awards” presented annually by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. This year’s ceremony will be presented on March 6, 2008 at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead. Award categories include: Office, Industrial, Retail, Land, Residential, Design, Mixed-Use, Rehab and Renovation and Overall Deal of the Year. For more information about the Fort McPherson redevelopment, visit here.
- For the second year in a row, Atlanta tops the Forbes.com survey of the “Most Wired Cities in the U.S.” According to the website, Atlanta was selected based on a variety of factors. As the communications hub for the Southeast, Atlanta boasts regional headquarters for AT&T and a bustling community of Internet-related start-ups. It's also home to BellSouth and EarthLink and Cox Communications. The City was also cited for its early efforts to wire downtown Atlanta for the 1996 Olympics.
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Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities
- Atlanta community members and stakeholders are invited to join City officials and public/private partners for the Atlanta BeltLine West End Trail Groundbreaking on Saturday February 23 from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. The West End Trail is the first section of the BeltLine trail system to be built, and will bring connectivity to the neighborhoods of Southwest Atlanta. The groundbreaking and news conference will be held at Rose Circle Park, adjacent to the Brown Middle School parking lot on Peoples Street. From I-20 West take Exit 55A Lowery Blvd toward W End; Left at Joseph E Lowery Blvd; Right at Ralph David Abernathy Blvd; Left at Peoples St. Visit here for travel by transit, bicycle or foot.
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Job Announcments
With the City of Atlanta’s online application system, you are able to create an account and select a Username and Password and then log in to your account.
After your account has been established, you can create an application by clicking on the “Build Job Application” link. Once your application is completed, it will be stored in the system and can be used to apply for future job openings. To get started by viewing current open positions, click here.
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Weekly Features
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