Atlanta voters approved $750M in infrastructure improvement spending, audit says less than 10% used
In May 2022, Atlanta voters approved a set of ballot measures to make big investments in the city's infrastructure. But only a fraction of that has been spent, according to a report by the city auditor.
Atlanta officials said at the time that the measures approved by voters included two bonds and a special sales tax renewal, greenlighting a $750 million funding effort for transportation, recreation, public safety and the arts.
Funds were split between a $400 million infrastructure bond and a $350 million TSPLOST extension, effectively a $0.04 tax on every $10 purchase for retail transactions in Atlanta, according to city officials.
Officials said those needs included sidewalks, streets, parks, recreation centers and public safety facilities, with funding to be spent over five years.
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Goals for the program were 'built on four pillars,' including:
One Safe City
A City of Opportunity for All
A City Built for the Future
Effective & Ethical Government
Now, the Atlanta City Auditor's Office reports less than 10% has been spent.
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The auditor's report found that 'as of August 2024, $47 million had been spent on Moving Atlanta Forward projects, less than 10% of project funds.'
In their examination of the funding package, the auditor's office found that projects were slow to progress and that districts with the least amount of spending had higher poverty levels than the others.
The report also found that there was not a central oversight mechanism, and having one 'may improve consistency across the three project delivery departments.'
Those departments are Transportation, Enterprise Asset Management and Parks and Recreation.
Due to the audit's findings, the office made several recommendations to help the programs get back on track, for oversight, spending tracking and overall project management.
According to the audit's highlights, the recommendations were either agreed to or partially agreed to, with completion dates set for June 2025 at the latest.
Channel 2 Action News reached out to the mayor's office for comment on the audit's findings and was directed to the city auditor's office. We have reached out to them for additional comment.
A full list of the projects approved in 2022 by the Atlanta City Council can be found here.
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