Atlanta’s City Council unanimously adopted the city’s fiscal year 2026 budget on Monday, totaling $3 billion, and did so without raising city taxes.
The budget passed “on consent” meaning council members made no amendments during the full council meeting —changes had already been finalized in committee.
“This truly is a vote of confidence,” Mayor Andre Dickens told council members after the adoption. Dickens and council members spent a chunk of the afternoon lauding each other, and the city’s Chief Financial Officer Mohamed Balla, who Councilmember Liliania Bakhtiari monikered “Dollar Dollar Balla” for the successful budget.
So what’s in this year’s budget?
A significant portion of the total includes several self-contained funds like the aviation fund for the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. However, the most debated and public-facing segment, the general fund, totals $975.4 million––up over $120 million from last year’s $854 million budget. This fund covers essential city services, including police, firefighters, parks, and public works.
Despite these major decisions, public engagement was minimal. Reporting from Atlanta Civic Circle’s partner at Atlanta Documenters found zero public comments during the three tax millage rate hearings.
According to Atlanta City Council Communications Director Zena Lewis, the budget process drew one in-person public comment. An email address and phone number drew just one email and no voicemails. Two people commented on a social-media live feed but after it ended.
By law, Atlanta must adopt a balanced budget. This year, the city slightly reduced its millage rate from 11.40 mills to 10.37 mills, decreasing property taxes marginally.
What is a millage rate? It’s the amount of tax paid per $1,000 of a homeowner’s property’s assessed value.
The Mayor’s proposed budget in April is largely similar to what the council adopted on June 2. According to Balla, the CFO, the adopted budget document won’t be published “for a month or two.”
Most city departments saw increases in their budgets, mostly associated with higher operating costs and salaries. The biggest increases were in public safety, infrastructure, and transportation:
- Police Department: increase of $54 million to $361 million.
- Fire Rescue: increase of $22 million to $181 million.
- Public Works: increase of $17.8 million to $102 million.
- Transportation: increase of $6.8 million to $58.6 million.
The Affordable Housing Trust Fund also received a boost, growing from $17 million to around $19.5 million —representing 2% of FY26’s general fund. (Council members have also vowed to revisit the guidelines of the ordinance that created the trust fund, after an Atlanta Civic Circle investigation revealed the dedicated purse had recently been tapped to pay down bond debts and employee salaries.)
During budget presentations, council members expressed reservations about the city’s readiness to host eight matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in particular the city’s transit investments.
“The next 12 months, all eyes are gonna be on us, and all eyes quite frankly are going to be on your department,” Councilmember Alex Wan told transportation officials during their May 20 budget presentation.
Wan also raised concerns about federal funding certainty for portions of the city’s budget reliant on federal funds. The Department of Labor and Employment Services, is mostly funded by federal funding — but leadership appeared confident that they would continue operating.
“Seventy-five percent of your budget is federally funded” Wan pointed out during the department’s May 15 budget hearing, asking “What happens if, heaven forbid, a decision is made in D.C. that the programs that fund this are scaled back?”
According to the labor department, which runs summer youth employment programs and WorkSource Atlanta — a federally-funded workforce development program that used to be part of Invest ATL, confirmations have come from the state that the federal funds will continue to be disbursed.
Additional reporting by Sean Keenan.
This story is part of #ATLBudget, a civic engagement project in collaboration with the Center for Civic Innovation and other organizations. Together, we’re breaking down Atlanta’s budget process to show where your tax dollars go — and how you can help shape the city’s priorities. Follow #ATLBudget on Instagram and Bluesky for updates.