The Atlanta City Council unanimously adopted a fiscal year 2026 budget totaling $3 billion without raising city taxes, signaling strong bipartisan support within the council.
The budget was passed ‘on consent,’ meaning it received no amendments during the full council meeting, with changes having been finalized in committee discussions prior to the meeting.
Mayor Andre Dickens characterized the vote as a ‘vote of confidence,’ expressing gratitude to council members and lauding the efforts of City Chief Financial Officer Mohamed Balla, who received appreciation from Councilmember Liliania Bakhtiari with a nickname: ‘Dollar Dollar Balla.’
A key component of this budget is the general fund, which amounts to $975.4 million—an increase of over $120 million from the previous year’s $854 million budget. This fund is crucial for the city as it supports essential services such as police, fire, parks, and public works.
However, public engagement in the budget process was notably minimal. According to Atlanta Civic Circle’s partner, Atlanta Documenters, there were zero public comments during the three tax millage rate hearings, with official records indicating only one in-person comment throughout the entire process.
The city must adopt a balanced budget by law, and this year saw a slight reduction in the millage rate from 11.40 mills to 10.37 mills, yielding a marginal decrease in property taxes. For clarification, a millage rate refers to the amount of tax paid per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value.
Most city departments experienced budget increases primarily due to rising operating costs and salaries. The largest increases were seen in critical areas of public safety, infrastructure, and transportation:
– The Police Department received a $54 million increase, totaling $361 million.
– Fire Rescue saw an uptick of $22 million, bringing its budget to $181 million.
– Public Works increased by $17.8 million to reach $102 million.
– Transportation received an increase of $6.8 million to a total of $58.6 million.
Additionally, the Affordable Housing Trust Fund saw its allocation rise from $17 million to approximately $19.5 million, which accounts for 2% of the general fund for FY26. Council members are also poised to revisit the guidelines concerning the trust fund after investigations revealed that it had been insufficiently safeguarded against misuse for unrelated expenses.
Looking ahead, council members expressed concerns about Atlanta’s readiness to host eight matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, particularly regarding necessary transit investments. ‘The next 12 months, all eyes are gonna be on us, and quite frankly, all eyes are going to be on your department,’ Councilmember Alex Wan highlighted during discussions with transportation officials.
Moreover, there were apprehensions regarding the availability of federal funding for aspects of the city’s budget that rely heavily on it. Wan pointed out that the Department of Labor and Employment Services, which is largely federally funded, could face challenges if federal support diminishes. ‘What happens if, heaven forbid, a decision is made in D.C. that the programs that fund this are scaled back?’ he asked during the budget hearing, emphasizing the reliance on federal funding.
Despite concerns, officials from the labor department, which operates crucial programs like summer youth employment and workforce development initiatives, reassured attendees that confirmations from the state indicated federal funds would continue to be distributed.
The adopted budget document from the city is expected to be published in one to two months, providing residents with detailed insights into the budget’s allocations.
This article is part of #ATLBudget, a civic engagement project developed in collaboration with the Center for Civic Innovation and other organizations. The initiative aims to demystify Atlanta’s budget process, revealing where tax dollars are allocated and empowering residents to influence city priorities. Updates can be followed on social media platforms Instagram and Bluesky under #ATLBudget.
image source from：https://atlantaciviccircle.org/2025/06/03/atlanta-city-council-unanimously-approves-mayor-dickens-3-billion-budget/
