Atlanta City Council Approves 2014 Budget, Compromise Deal Struck on Employee Pay Raises | WABE 90.1 FM

By a 12-3 vote, the Atlanta City Council Monday approved a $539 million budget for the fiscal year starting July 1st.

It includes a compromise deal from Mayor Kasim Reed aimed at placating city employees who had been demanding higher pay raises.

Despite still declining revenues, the budget avoids service cuts and a property tax hike, while adding about a million dollars to the city’s $126 million reserve fund and paying for a new 311 customer service hotline.

In addition, the budget includes the mayor’s new employee pay raise plan, which promises $3.2 million for salary increases – $400,000 more than the mayor originally proposed.

“The mayor and the administration has made a commitment to a fiscally sustainable pay structure and set of increases for employees,” said Duriya Farooqui, the city’s chief operating officer.

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