City Leaders Visit D.C. to Share Atlanta’s Success Connecting Residents to Income-Enhancing Programs
City of Atlanta Office of Weed and Seed and Atlanta Workforce Development Agency (AWDA) representatives recently visited Washington D.C. to share Atlanta’s successful strategies for informing low-income residents about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) program.
On February 13, Karen Rogers and Deborah Lum met with the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight. Lum and Rogers shared Atlanta’s effective public-private partnership model for connecting low-income residents with income-enhancing programs, like EITC.
EITC is a “refundable credit” that lower-income workers can deduct on their tax returns. The credit reduces the amount of taxes owed, and is intended to offset the increases in living expenses and social security tax.
Atlanta informs residents about this program through effective partnerships. Strategies include weekly email blasts; EITC inserts to City employees; support from the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and other large employers; providing info to parents of Atlanta Public Schools students; and partnering with neighborhood associations.
Said Rogers and Lum in a joint statement to the Committee: “Local governments are an important partner in expanding the reach of EITC. If more local governments partnered with other charitable organizations, social-service agencies, schools and local businesses, they would educate low-income families on the many different ways they can keep more of the money they earn.”
For more information about EITC, please visit here. Atlanta’s EITC program is administered at AWDA, located inside a Weed and Seed designated site. For more information on Weed and Seed, visit here. For more information on AWDA, visit here.
AWDA Director Deborah Lum (pictured left) and Mayor’s Office of Weed and Seed Director, Karen Rogers (right) present to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means. Atlanta was recognized for its successful use of partnerships to connect low-income residents with income-enhancing government programs. |
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Mayor Shirley Franklin Inducted into International Civil Rights Walk of Fame
Mayor Shirley Franklin and 12 other stellar individuals were inducted yesterday into the 2007 International Civil Rights Walk of Fame for their lifelong service, sacrifice and struggle to create a world of equality and justice.
The fourth annual event was held at the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site. Inductees’ footprints – a symbol of their enduring commitment – were embedded into the granite outside the Site. The footprints will remain as a permanent sidewalk display leading into the King National Historic Site.
In addition to Mayor Franklin, the 2007 inductees included: journalist and author Lerone Bennett Jr.; singer Tony Bennett; activist Marian Wright Edelman; attorney Frankie Muse Freeman; boxer Joe Louis; Reverend Dr. Otis Moss Jr.; late Bahamian Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling; actor Sidney Poitier; Dr. Otis W. Smith; Congresswoman Maxine Waters; the Honorable Lawrence Douglas Wilder; and educator and human rights activist Jean Childs Young.
Said Mayor Franklin: “I am humbled to be on this podium with such brave and courageous souls; men and women whose personal sacrifice and commitment changed and enriched our lives.”
Mayor Shirley Franklin stands in her “footprints” at the 2007 International Civil Rights Hall of Fame. The footprints of the 2007 inductees will remain in a permanent outdoor exhibit leading into the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. |
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Businesses Asked to Partner with City, Metro Atlanta Chamber in Summer Internship Program
For the second year in a row, the City of Atlanta and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce (MACOC) is calling on metro Atlanta companies to provide summer internships for the Atlanta Public School (APS) Class of 2007.
The internship initiative is part of Mayor Shirley Franklin’s education program to help APS seniors map out a plan for success after graduation. In addition to internships, the program provides financial assistance to students for their unmet college needs and career certification training.
Last year, more than 500 students participated in internships at over 100 organizations in the public and private sectors. Opportunities were provided by Georgia Power; WCLK Radio; City of Atlanta departments, including Law, Fire, Police, Executive Offices and Finance; and law firm Weisman, Curry, Novak and Wilco, among others.
Internships should run from June 4 through July 27. Companies are asked to provide 35-40 hours of work per week and pay $8 to $12 per hour per student.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is a media partner and will promote internships on their website at www.ajcjobs.com/nextstepinterns. For more information call 404.230.1600 or email PBBrown@AtlantaGa.gov.
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Help Shape the Future of Atlanta’s BeltLine
This month, two initiatives established as part of the BeltLine Community Engagement Framework will kick-off, providing opportunities for Atlanta residents and stakeholders to stay informed about the BeltLine and comment on the plan in a public forum.
Quarterly City Briefings: Once every 3 months, the City BeltLine Team will host a meeting to provide an overview of BeltLine activities. Meetings will be televised on the City’s public access channel (Comcast Channel 26). The BeltLine Public Meeting Schedule is:
- Wednesday, February 28
Atlanta City Hall
55 Trinity Avenue
City Council Chambers
6:00 pm
- Friday, April 13
Atlanta City Hall
55 Trinity Avenue
Old City Council Chambers
6:00 pm
- Thursday, August 9
Location TBD
6:00 pm
- Thursday, October 11
Location TBD
6:00 pm
BeltLine Study Groups: The BeltLine has been geographically divided into five areas. A study group is being created that will provide a one-stop shop for citizens who want to provide input into the BeltLine planning and implementation for each of the five areas. The Study Group schedule is:
Northside Study Group
Tuesday, March 13
Piedmont Hospital
1968 Peachtree Road
Rich Auditorium
7:00 pm |
Northeast Study Group
Tuesday, March 20
City Hall East
675 Ponce de Leon Avenue
Sherry Lyons-Williams Auditorium
7:00 pm
|
Westside Study Group
Monday, March 19
Woodson Elementary School
1605 Bankhead Highway
7:30 pm |
Southwest Study Group
Tuesday, March 27
Gideons Elementary
897 Welch Street
Auditorium
7:00 pm
|
Southeast Study Group
Thursday, March 29
Warren/Holyfield Boys and Girls Club
790 Berne Street
Community Room
7:00pm |
|
For more information, visit here or call Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., at 404.880.4100.
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Active Advocacy is Topic of Mayor’s Quarterly Roundtable
The Atlanta Women’s Agenda (AWA) and the League of Women Voters of Georgia (LWVGA) partnered last week to host the mayor’s quarterly roundtable discussion on “Women’s Voices and The Important Role of Advocacy.”
Roundtable panel members included Mayor Shirley Franklin, State Reps. Stacey Abrams and Kathy Ashe and State Superintendent of Education, Kathy Cox. Female leaders from local voter education and advocacy groups presented to the approximately 150 attendees in City Hall’s Old Council Chambers.
During a special address titled “How Women Rule,” Mayor Franklin shared how advocacy can lead to big change. In 2002, she advocated fiercely for clean water, becomng nationally known as the “Sewer Mayor.” Atlanta has since launched a $3.9 billion sewer infrastructure overhaul.
Following the discussion, attendees traveled across the street to the Georgia Capitol, where they introduced themselves to their local government representatives. For more information on the Atlanta Women’s Agenda, visit www.womensagenda.com.
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Mayor Shirley Franklin recently joined aviation officials for the first Women’s Conference at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (HJAIA). The discussion topic for this year’s conference focused on the airport’s talent management programs. Click here to go to Video On Demand (VOD) webpage where you can watch the news conference.
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Rave Reviews!
- The Department of Watershed Management (DWM) has successfully completed the Piedmont Road Sewer Capacity Improvement Project one full week ahead of schedule, ending three weeks of traffic diversion on one of Atlanta’s most heavily traveled roads. The Piedmont project was a key component of the City’s $3.9 billion Clean Water Atlanta program. To provide the additional sewer capacity necessary to support growth in the area, DWM replaced 1,000 feet of existing 10-inch sewer pipe with a 15-inch pipe; installed 125 feet of new 15-inch pipe; and constructed six new manholes. “We did everything in our power to minimize the inconvenience,” said Rob Hunter, DWM commissioner. “Our crews and contractors worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week to get this project finished. The fact that they finished a week early is a testament to their hard work and to the City’s commitment to its customers.”
The Department of Watershed Management recently completed the Piedmont Road Sewer Capacity Improvement Project a week ahead of schedule. Pictured: DWM crews dig a pit in preparation to complete the project. |
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Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities
- In recognition of March as Women’s History Month, the City of Atlanta will host “Generations of Women Moving City Government Forward” on Friday, March 9 from 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. This annual event will be held at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center, and includes health seminars, panel discussions and screenings. Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, president of the Council of A.M.E. Bishops, is the luncheon keynote speaker. Door prizes include airline tickets. Tickets are $40, or $35 with a City of Atlanta employee ID; group tables are available for $400, or $350 with a City employee ID. For more information about this event, or to purchase tickets, call 404.330.6360.
- Park Pride will host the Sixth Annual Parks and Greenspace Conference “Understanding the Value of Parks and Greenspace,” on Monday, March 19 at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The City’s Atlanta Project Greenspace is a sponsor of this event. Two pre-event highlights of the Conference are the BeltLine Tour on Sunday, March 18; and the Parks Tour on Saturday, March 17. For registration information for these programs and others visit www.parkpride.org.
- On Saturday, March 24 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., certified tax preparers will be preparing and electronically filing returns for free for EITC-eligible taxpayers during “Super Saturday” at the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency (AWDA). No appointments are necessary. Also on Super Saturday, AWDA will host an “Asset Building Fair.” The fair will provide information on financial awareness programs for first time homebuyers; earned benefits assistance programs; financial products offered by local banks and credit unions, among other specific capacity-building opportunities. Activities will be provided for children who accompany their parents. For more information, visit www.atlantaworkforce.org
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Job Announcements
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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