Legislation to Address Voting Rights

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms took the following legislative actions.

Voter Suppression Resolution

Mayor Bottoms put forth a resolution expressing the City of Atlanta’s opposition to any legislation under consideration by the Georgia General Assembly that would restrict voter access for Georgia citizens, limit Georgia citizens’ ability to access their fundamental right to vote or would act to suppress the vote of any Georgia citizen.

Development Impact Fee

Mayor Bottoms announced the adoption of a new development impact fee ordinance for the City of Atlanta that will set a new course for the City’s Development Impact Fee Program. Impact fees are a one-time fee imposed by local government on a new or proposed development project to pay for all or a portion of the costs of providing public services to the new development.

Examples of services include but are not limited to:

• Atlanta Department of Transportation impact fees that can be used to fund new road and new sidewalk projects, where permissible under Development Impact Fee Act (DIFA) guidelines
• Department of Parks and Recreation impact fees can be used to acquire land and pay for the construction of facilities such as recreation centers and multi-use trails
• Public safety impact fees (AFRD and APD) can be used for construction of AFRD and APD stations

The new ordinance represents the first update of Atlanta’s impact fee structure in more than 25 years. Established in 1993, the Development Impact Fee Program has not been adjusted for escalating costs, nor have administrative changes been legislated to meet growing demand for public services during a period of significant growth and development. As a result, Atlanta has maintained one of the lowest impact fee levels in the nation during a period when its population went from declining to an increase of more than 25 percent.

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