In this issue
Public Safety
Financial
Looking Ahead to 2010
Additional Resource
Contact
Atlanta City Hall
55 Trinity Ave, S.W.
Suite 2900
Atlanta, GA 30303-3584
Main Phone: (404) 330-6049
Fax: (404) 658-6073
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<<First Name>>
I hope this email finds you enjoying this holiday season.
It is hard to believe that 2010 is almost at an end. With that, I wanted to take a quick moment to reflect on some of the key issues we faced during my first year as your District 6 City Council member, as well as what I anticipate working on next year.
As always, please feel free to call me at 404-330-6049 or email me at awan@atlantaga.gov.
Warmly,
Public Safety
There have been a number of very troubling crimes that have taken place in District 6 during the second half of the year. Although Zone 6 continues to report the lowest crime statistics in the City, these events have shaken our neighborhoods. I am deeply concerned about these public safety developments and have been in constant conversations with Mayor Kasim Reed and Police Chief George Turner to voice our neighbors’ worries and to find ways to deter future crimes in our District.
On December 14, I convened a meeting of neighborhood association presidents and public safety chairs with Chief Turner and Zone 6 Commander Dalton to share ideas and information on how we might partner with APD and each other to fight crime. It was at that meeting that Chief Turner promised an additional 5 officers out of the January graduating cadet class to Zone 6 to give them additional manpower to patrol our streets and neighborhoods. The group agreed to meet at quarterly going forward, and we welcome your ideas and suggestions.
Please know I will continue to work with the administration and Council to secure additional resources for public safety to put more officers on our beats and additional tools and equipment to combat crime.
Financial
City Council passed an ambitious $540 million budget presented by Mayor Reed for Fiscal Year 2011 which included his three main initiatives:
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The Centers of Hope – All but one recreation center will be reopened by December 31, 2010, and programming is scheduled to be in place by summer 2011.
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Hiring an additional 100 police officers - The recruitment and training of the cadets are proceeding on schedule, with the full 100 officers slated to be on the force by June 30, 2011.
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Restoring a 3.5% step increase to fire and police officers, and a one-time bonus to all other employees – The public safety department raise will begin January 1, 2011, and the bonus was paid out in the first quarter of the fiscal year.
Thus far, the monthly financial reports presented by the administration to Council show that where there is some softness in a few revenue line items, they are being balanced with fiscal restraint on expenditures, and that the City is on track to operate within a balanced budget for the year.
Sometime in February, we will be reviewing the 6-month interim results in greater detail, which will include several significant revenue milestones. That information will allow us to make additional operating adjustments going into the second half of the year. I will keep you posted as to any significant findings or developments.
Looking Ahead to 2011
The 2011 committee assignments have been announced. While I will continue serving on the Finance/Executive and Community Development Human Resources (CD/HR), I will also be joining the Public Safety and Legal Administration committee. I look forward to playing an active role on all three and working on the issues of interest to District 6.
Our employee pension benefits program continues to be a significant budget issue, and although Council voted this year to adjust pension benefits for newly hired employees, we must continue to find ways to address the one expense that accounts for roughly 20% of the city’s general fund budget. The Mayor’s pension task force is schedule to convene again in February and will hopefully have recommendations as to some next steps on this matter.
I will also be closely following the City Hall East transaction as it hopefully marches to closing next year. As you may recall, the City has negotiated to sell the property on Ponce de Leon to Jamestown Properties to redevelop the site. The transaction is currently on hold as the developer finalizes certain state tax credits for the project, which is anticipated in early 2011. The transaction will bring a significant cash infusion to the city’s general fund, as well as relieve the surrounding neighborhoods’ public safety anxieties over having such a large building sit vacant for too much longer.
And, as always, I will continue looking for ways to make City government work more effectively and efficiently with your tax dollars.
An Additional resource
I am pleased to announce the launch of our official District 6 website – www.AtlantaDistrict6.com – which contains helpful information for you about the City and the District 6 neighborhoods. We will continue to build onto the site to make it as useful as possible for you, and if there is any particular resource you would like to see on there, please let us know.
I appreciate all of the calls and emails that I have received from you this year, and I always welcome any feedback, concerns, or suggestions you have for our great City and District. It is a privilege to be your voice in your City government; I look forward to continuing to serve as your District 6 Council member in the coming year.
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