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Committee creates district capital projects to receive sidewalk waiver fees; members seek budget transparency
Summary
The Transportation Committee approved a substitute ordinance creating capital finance projects for sidewalk waiver fees by council district and directing the transfer of existing trust-account balances into those projects. Council members pressed for balance reports and raised concerns about moving funds to capital rather than operating budgets.
The Atlanta City Council Transportation Committee approved a substitute ordinance June 25 that directs the chief financial officer to create capital finance projects—one for each council district—to receive and expend revenue collected from sidewalk waiver fees and to transfer balances from existing trust accounts into the newly created projects.
The substitute includes language to close out existing trust fund accounts and to amend the capital finance budget; the committee approved the substitute on condition by a 5-0 vote. Deputy Commissioner Lenore Bromberg of the Atlanta Department of Transportation said the change responds to a finance request to move funds into capital accounts so ATL DOT can expend them on capital investments and that one project will be created for each district.
Council members asked for transparency and control: several said they wanted district-level balances before transfer and questioned whether sidewalk-waiver revenue should be held in capital accounts, which some said can be less visible during annual budget deliberations. Council Member Juan said he preferred seeing funds on the operating side for transparency but withdrew a condition after staff pointed out that exhibit B, attached to the packet, lists balances being moved by district.
Bromberg said some districts previously did not have dedicated accounts when the waiver program began; the ordinance corrects that by establishing the accounts and moving existing funds. “When this originally was set up, not all the accounts were created,” she said. “Finance asked us to move the funds from the original accounts … over into a capital fund so that they could be expended on the capital investments that we want to make.”
Council members asked whether moving the funds would slow ongoing sidewalk projects. Bromberg said she did not believe projects would be delayed because the money would remain accessible once moved and that the accounts are intended to be discretionary at the council-district level, with the department coordinating spending with the council member for that district.
Action vs. discussion: The committee approved the substitute ordinance (formal action) and directed the department and finance to provide balances and additional clarifications for council members who requested them (direction). Committee members also asked the Department of City Planning to clarify how administrative waivers will relate to the new fund structure.
Ending: The department said it will coordinate with council members on moving balances and on how the new capital projects will be managed in practice and will follow up with detail requested by council members before the next full council meeting.
