Sidewalks, rec centers, and answered questions oh my!

Sidewalks, rec centers, and answered questions oh my!

Southwest Atlanta Community Budget Forum

City Councilmembers H. Lamar Willis, C.T. Martin and Keisha Lance Bottoms want to hear from Southwest Atlanta residents as the Atlanta City Council begins deliberations on the Fiscal Year 2014 City Budget. 

The three councilmembers, along with Mayor Kasim Reed, will host a Southwest Atlanta Community Budget Forum on Tuesday, May 7 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Benjamin E. Mays High School, 3450 Benjamin E. Mays Drive SW.

During the forum, councilmembers will discuss accomplishments in Districts 11 and 12 over the past year and give constituents an opportunity to express how they wish to see city resources allocated in Fiscal Year 2014. 

The city council is currently reviewing the administration’s initial budget proposal which calls for maintaining a police force of at least 2,000 officers, expanding the city’s Centers of Hope program, and no tax increase.

The council will hold a series of city departmental budget briefings throughout the month of May and will consider public input before adopting its final budget. 

For more information on the Southwest Atlanta Community Budget Forum, please call Councilmembers Willis, Martin or Bottoms at (404) 330-6030.

Representative Lewis Introduces Legislation Focused on Preventing Community Violence

Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., has introduced legislation (H.R. 1709) to "authorize the Attorney General to award grants to eligible entities to prevent or alleviate community violence by providing education, mentoring, and counseling services to children, adolescents, teachers, families, and community leaders on the principles and practice of nonviolence."

The bill was introduced on April 24.

The legislation was referred to the House Education and the Workforce Committee.

The full text of the bill is available from the Library of Congress Thomas legislative website. To access the bill, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/home/LegislativeData.php?&n=BillText.

Tired of seeing abandon and blighted properties in your neighborhood?

Councilwoman Joyce Sheperd has proposed a solution:
12O0843 to impose Higher Property Tax Rate for Blighted, Vacant Properties

Crime in your neighborhood?

Click here to find out.  Also, make sure you register for the zone alerts for your area.

For concerns regarding crime and safety in southwest Atlanta, you can contact:

Zone 4

Zone Commander

Major Rodney Bryant

1125 Cascade Cr. S.W.

Atlanta, Georgia

Office: (404) 756-1903

Fax: (404) 756-1804

Mini Precincts & Investigation Units

Investigations Unit

Office: (404) 472-3708

Fax: (404) 472-3637

Martin Luther King Mini Precinct

Office: (404) 505-3131

Fax: (404) 505-3133

Council meeting on illegal tire dumping gets heated

Council meeting on illegal tire dumping gets heated

Posted: Nov 26, 2012 8:22 AM EST Updated: Nov 26, 2012 6:51 PM EST

By MYFOXATLANTA STAFF

 

ATLANTA - Some angry Atlanta residents told local lawmakers on Monday that they're tired of being dumped on.  They told city leaders they don't want old tires discarded in their neighborhoods.

Atlanta City Councilwoman Joyce Sheperd held the meeting to discuss proposed legislation aimed at cracking down on illegal tire dumping.  Sheperd says illegal dumping of tires is perpetrated by carriers hauling used tires from tire sellers to "end users," who are supposed to burn them or otherwise get rid of them. She says they've come up with a multi-pronged approach.
Things got so heated at Monday's meeting that Sheperd threatened to cut off public comment.

The city council is dusting off a six-month old proposal, and is now ready to vote on a law to cut down tens of thousands of tires left in vacant lots, on the street, and according to residents almost everywhere--- except in wealthy communities.

But regardless of where you live in the city, all Atlantans are affected by the problem.  You see, the City of Atlanta pays for the disposal of these tires-- at a cost of $7.00 a piece.  But, the market rate is no more than $2.00 when a private company does it.  The proposed law would cut down on the number of scrap tires an operator can have.  Currently, that number is a maximum of 3,000 tires, but the new law would cut that number to 500 tires.  All tires must be taken to an approved environmental disposal site, and according to Sheperd, they would require operators to put identification marks on the tires in their inventory.  That way, if the tires were dumped, they would be able to be tracked.

If the new law passes, Atlanta police would be left to impose fines, which if unpaid could lead to jail time.  The first formal vote on the issue comes Tuesday.

Women of Color and Political Leadership         

 By Sophia Kerby

Women of color are largely underrepresented in elected positions across the board, comprising just 4.5 percent of the total 535 members of Congress, with similar representation in state legislatures, and even less across statewide offices. Which begs the questions: What is the political power of women of color?