Commissioners debate Delta Foundation funding plan and county role after $16.5M pledge
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Summary
Commissioners questioned why Delta Foundation grants to local nonprofits were announced without board action and whether the county’s interests, including pursuit of jet-fuel tax claims, were affected; no formal agreement between Clayton County and Delta was reported.
Chairwoman Alika Anderson Henry said Delta Airlines’ foundation has proposed a $16.5 million, five‑year package to benefit regional nonprofits and workforce programs, and that the county has not signed any agreement obligating the Board of Commissioners.
The discussion matters because several municipal leaders, members of the state delegation and community advocates raised concerns that the pledge and public announcements appeared to commit county endorsement without formal board review. Commissioner Demont Davis opened the discussion asking when the discussions began and who participated.
“There is no agreement between the county and Delta and the Delta entity, so there is no need for the board or anyone from this board to vote on anything,” Chairwoman Alika Anderson Henry told the board, saying early discussions involved the county’s former chair Jeffrey Turner and other leaders. She described the Delta pledge as “a good faith effort” by the foundation and said some awards have already been distributed to nonprofits and institutions.
Commissioner Davis said he was concerned that the county’s name and officials’ titles were used in media materials describing the gifts, and pressed for transparency about who was involved in discussions and whether those talks included county legal counsel. “$16,000,000 coming to a foundation which does not benefit the county nor the cities, I have an issue with,” Davis said.
Legal counsel and the chairwoman said the foundation is a separate 501(c)(3) and that the foundation’s grants cannot be paid directly to the county; rather, the foundation intends to distribute funds to nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and workforce groups. The chairwoman listed allocations Delta had described: $5 million each to Clayton County Public Schools Foundation and Junior Achievement of Georgia for a Clayton County Discovery Center; $2.5 million for scholarships at Georgia State University’s School of Aviation for CCPS students; and smaller grants for community organizations and a donor advised fund.
County attorney and staff said no county contract or payment‑in‑lieu arrangement exists with Delta and that the pledge does not, in staff’s view, preclude the county from pursuing separate remedies such as seeking unpaid jet fuel taxes. Chairwoman Anderson Henry said that “if this board chooses to do so, then we can proceed” with other legal action on fuel taxes; she said Delta has told the county its gift was not intended to settle tax claims.
Several commissioners and speakers said they want clearer protocols when external entities announce projects that reference the county or show county letterhead. Commissioner Demont Davis and others asked that future briefings to the public be routed through the board and county legal staff so commissioners can review materials before public release. Chairwoman Anderson Henry said Delta representatives and the foundation will meet with each commissioner individually to explain the grant process and how nonprofits and municipal entities can apply for funding.
The board took no formal vote related to the Delta Foundation gifts during the meeting. Several commissioners asked staff to provide a timeline of contacts and to identify any county staff or officials who participated in the outside discussions.
Looking ahead, commissioners said they expect more details from the foundation and asked staff to confirm which nonprofits have already received payments, how the foundation will accept and evaluate applications, and whether any county functions—such as parks and recreation connections described by the foundation—will be contingent on separate agreements.
Commissioners also emphasized that future communications that include county letterhead or list the board should be cleared in advance by the clerk’s office and legal counsel to avoid the appearance of preapproval.
Ending: Commissioners agreed to request a written summary from county staff and legal counsel documenting who participated in Delta discussions and to ask the foundation for a schedule and process for awarding remaining funds. No formal board action was taken during the April 15 meeting.
