WEST END ATLANTA

atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/01/26/daily108.html?surround=lfn
Atlantans could vote on taxes for public safety
Dave Williams, Staff Writer, Atlanta Business Chronicle - Thursday, January 29, 2009, 2:55pm EST
"This legislation will fund 150 to 200 police and fire officers and eliminate current furloughs." Note: If passed, how many of these position will actually be serving
the city's streets? How many positions are needed to provide police/fire protection. [The numbers do not include trainees, sworn administrative personnel, sworn
personnel assigned to the Airport, sworn personnel performing non-protective services, ex. detectives, arson squad, etc.]

Atlanta voters would decide whether to tax themselves to hire more police officers and firefighters under legislation introduced into the General Assembly Thursday.

The measure, sponsored by Sen. Kasim Reed, D-Atlanta, would authorize a referendum in Atlanta on whether to raise property taxes and dedicate the additional revenue to beef up the police and fire departments.

"This legislation will fund 150 to 200 police and fire officers and eliminate current furloughs," Reed said. "It is time for us to come together around a common goal – reducing crime and keeping our citizens safe."

Mayor Shirley Franklin and Atlanta City Council have been at odds over police and fire department staffing.

While Franklin has long espoused a goal of having 2,000 police officers at work by the time she leaves office at the end of this year, the mayor ordered furloughs last year to help offset a budget shortfall.

The council passed a resolution this month calling for an end to the furloughs, which Franklin vetoed this week.

Reed, who is running for mayor this year, said the tax increase would raise $20 million to $24 million. The owner of a $250,000 home would pay an additional $6 a month in taxes, he said.

Reed said the tax hike would expire unless reauthorized in a subsequent referendum

Barbara Payne, spokeswoman for the Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation, said she prefers that Atlantans get a chance to vote whether to raise their taxes rather than have the city impose a tax hike on homeowners.

"At least he's asking voters to decide," she said. "(But) there are many ways to get the money needed without raising taxes."

The foundation has urged city officials for months to look for more opportunities to outsource a host of city services.