ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council officially approved the city’s budget, including a plan to generate $5.5 billion to reinvest in the city’s neighborhoods.
The ordinance approving extensions of the city’s Tax Allocation Districts was part of a big community plan pushed by Mayor Andre Dickens to reinvest in historically underserved parts of Atlanta.
The TADs, which are taxed in different levels to generate redevelopment funds, will now continue through 2055.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
As Channel 2 Action News has reported, Dickens suggested renewing or extending six of the city’s TADs to address what he called Atlanta’s “Tale of Two Cities," with a divide in investment between the north and south portions of Atlanta.
In a statement on the passage of the new city budget and the TAD extension, Dickens made the same reference, praising the decision and squaring it in terms of how it reflects on Atlanta’s ethos.
TRENDING STORIES:
- FIFA World Cup may cause disruptions to postal service through July, metro Atlanta city says
- Pregnant mother, unborn baby killed in shooting while 2 children slept next to her
- Man dead after a stranger punched him outside a restaurant, police say
“Today is one of those moments where Atlanta chooses what kind of city we are going to become. For generations, Atlanta has been a city that creates opportunity, but we must also acknowledge a hard truth—that opportunity has not reached every neighborhood or every family equally," Dickens said in a statement. “For too long, we have lived with the reality of two Atlantas, where a child’s ZIP code can determine their access to housing, education, economic opportunity and even how long they are expected to live. That is unacceptable, and today we are taking historic action to close the book on a tale of two cities.
While the extension on the six TADs passed, it wasn’t without some control levers.
In order for future TAD-related bond activity or tax changes to move forward, the proposals will need to get support from the Atlanta City Council and either the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education or the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.
For the Neighborhood Reinvestment Act revenue from the TAD extension, Dickens’ office said the funding will be used to invest in housing, infrastructure, transit and economic opportunities in historically underserved parts of the city.
The Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative also created a new, city council-controlled trust fund, updating how Invest Atlanta manages TAD projects and revenue and proposals for protecting legacy residents and businesses.
The change of management processes for the TADs by Invest Atlanta follows a recent audit by the City of Atlanta, which showed how the organization reported progress and success of developments was in need of more transparency and oversight.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
