Policy Alert: Contact your elected officials and share your views on the proposed administration of the Atlanta Empowerment Zone and Renewal Communities Initiative

The City of Atlanta is in the process of negotiating a contract with the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership (ANDP) to administer the Title XX funds (approximately $58 million in unspent funding from the Atlanta Empowerment Zone) and the tax incentives connected to the Renewal Communities Initiative. AHAND does not object to ANDP's role as the prospective administrator of the two initiatives but has several concerns regarding the proposed administrative process: 1. The CoRA Board (the governing body of the RC) and Title XX Sub-Committee (the governing body of the unspent funds from the AEZ) should be structured so that true community stakeholders—AEZ residents and representatives of neighborhood-based organizations and businesses—maintain a simple majority. It is currently proposed that seats on the CoRA board be allocated in the following manner: 2 ANDP Board Members, 3 Community Residents, 1 Banker, 1 Developer, 1 AHAND Representative, and 1 Mayoral Appointee. The Title XX Sub-Committee is proposed to have 1 ANDP Board Member, 3 Community Residents, 1 Banker, 1 Developer, and 1 Mayoral Appointee. 2. An independent body that has the capacity to swiftly hear appeals and adjudicate disputes in an expeditious manner should be put in place to ensure that the re-benchmarking process is well balanced and unbiased. 3. There is a gross conflict of interest if ANDP is permitted to participate in the oversight of the AEZ & RC, serve as the fiscal agent, and compete for project dollars and tax incentives. Their role should be contractually limited to that of a financial intermediary.

In order to regain the sense of integrity lost due to the actions of the past, we must work together to ensure that various layers of checks, balances, and transparency are interspersed throughout the proposed process. If you have concerns about the proposed administration of the Title XX funds and the Renewal Communities initiative, it is imperative that you contact Mayor Franklin and your City Council Member as soon as possible to voice your concerns. Please Click Here to contact the Atlanta City Council Please Click Here to Contact Mayor Franklin

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Journalist Mara Shalhoup writes about many of these issues in the March 5th edition of Creative Loafing. Please click here to view her article entitled "Easy money isn't always a breeze: Who should decide how to spend $58 million in leftover federal cash?"