Releasing the text of her December 08, 2003 letter to members of the Atlanta City Council ,Mayor Shirley Franklin expressed her concerns regarding the 6 ccf legislation and severe cuts to the Watershed budget, while also reflecting her willingness and openness to work together with the Council to move forward on the water and sewer system improvements. Mayor Franklin remains optimistic that the Council will work with her to develop a unified approach to this and all other issues affecting the future of Atlanta.
Mayor Franklin said, "We have much to do moving forward on other issues equally as important as water and sewer, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Council to serve the residents of Atlanta." For example, today at 4:00 pm, Mayor Franklin will meet with a group of Vine City residents at the request of Councilmember Ivory Young, Jr.
The text of the letter follows below:
December 8, 2003
The Honorable Cathy Woolard and
Members of Atlanta City Council
55 Trinity Avenue, Suite 2900
Atlanta, GA 30303
Dear President Woolard and Members of Council:
I am in receipt of correspondence from several members of the City Council regarding the water/sewer rate increases. Due to scheduling conflicts, I have not had the opportunity to contact each and every one of you.
Based on the financial analysis of the proposed water/sewer rate and the 3ccf conservation and affordability rate amendment, it was readily apparent to me that the 6ccf rate would compound any negative impact. We are looking forward to the detailed analysis of the proposed rate, as do you.
I do not support the $25 million dollar cut in the Department of Watershed Management budget. The budget presented to the City Council represented the required funds to provide quality service to meet the needs of our Clean Water program. The budget submission represented the reorganization approved by City Council and was the result of both external and internal reviews.
We will continue to look for efficiencies in operations throughout the remainder of my term. While the water/sewer rate is a difficult issue I continue to be optimistic that we will develop a unified approach to resolving this issue.
Sincerely,
Shirley Franklin