Atlanta mayor proposes $853.8 million budget, largest in city’s history

Caption

Mayor Andre Dickens spoke at the Buckhead Coalition’s annual luncheon in January.

Credit: Dyana Bagby/Rough Draft Atlanta

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is proposing an $853.8 million general fund budgetfor fiscal year 2025, the largest in the city’s history. 

The proposed spending plan is an 8.1% increase over the $790 million general fund budget approved for fiscal year 2024, formerly Atlanta’s largest budget ever. 

The Atlanta City Council must approve a budget by June 30 before the new fiscal year begins on July 1. The council started holding budget sessions today, May 1, that will run through May 21.

The sessions allow council members to hear from officials from the mayor’s office, union representatives and department heads to ask questions about proposed spending and revenue. 

Click here for the schedule of sessions. The briefings will be simulcast on the council’s YouTube channel, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter), Instagram pages, and Channel 26. Closed captioning will be available on the council’s Facebook page.

The general fund is flexible revenue the city takes in that is primarily used to cover basic operating services like police, fire, planning, parks and recreation and administration. Sources of revenue for the general fund include property taxes, sales taxes and business licenses.

Some budget highlights:

$30 million in infrastructure to build two new fire stations, modernize the city’s municipal facilities and address years of deferred maintenance.

$29.8 million on public safety that includes:

• $19.4 million for Motorola radios, Atlanta Police and Atlanta Fire Rescue vehicles and equipment.

• $3.8 million for body-worn camera maintenance, cloud storage and support.

• $2.1 million for citywide security camera maintenance.

$24.3 million would go toward the city’s employees, including:

• $9.5 million to implement an Atlanta class and compensation study.

• $8.2 million to increase staffing levels and fill vacancies.

• $5.3 million to integrate premium pay into regular pay for eligible employees.

• $500,000 in citywide professional development and training.

$17 million to Atlanta’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which is 2% of the general fund. The City Council established the affordable housing trust fund in 2021 and mandated 2% of the general fund go to the trust by FY25.

The trust fund will cover costs of the city’s Housing Help Center, for new construction and retrofitted housing, and the effort to convert Downtown’s 2 Peachtree building from office to housing.

$6.8 million to support youth programming, including:

• $3 million for Atlanta’s Year of the Youth initiative.

• $1.8 million for At-Promise Youth Centers.

• $2 million for the third installment of Atlanta’s Summer Youth Employment Program.

• $1.9 million for Mayor’s Youth Ball.

In addition to the $853.8 million general fund, the city manages several other funds like aviation, solid waste and watershed. The city also collects revenue from different sources like hotel/motel taxes. All together, the city’s total budget is $2.75 billion.

This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with Rough Draft Atlanta.