Emory pursuing annexation into Atlanta (North Atlanta, Dunwoody: private school, nicest, teacher)

[bu2]

Atlanta's annexation of Emory includes Atlanta Public Schools

AJC article.

"...City council members overwhelmingly wanted APS as part of the annexation, said Melissa Mullinax, a senior adviser to Mayor Kasim Reed. She said the mayor decided to support the school district’s inclusion Monday. The Council’s Finance/Executive Committee voted 4-0 on Wednesday to back that proposal.
DeKalb County Board of Education member Marshall Orson said he’s concerned that annexations could slowly chip away at his school district.
“It’s not the number of students or even the dollars,” he said. “It’s the larger issue of whether these annexations begin to destabilize the DeKalb County School District. We fully expect the city will look for ways to annex. Quite often these are driven by issues unrelated to schools....”

[cqholt]

Transfer Of Services
On Jan. 1, the city of Atlanta would also take over trash and recycling, new business permits, and Atlanta Police Department officers would start patrolling the area.

DeKalb County will continue to provide fire services through an intergovernmental agreement. The Atlanta Public School system boundaries are expected to change in July 2018 for school enrollment purposes.

New Transit Funds
New city of Atlanta transit funding would be available for the area, where transportation has been a big issue.

“We are looking at ways to expedite the construction of the light rail system as well as additional bus services,” Limmer said. “The annexation does add additional opportunity to greater serve the Emory and CDC campuses, with that half-cent sales tax referendum dollars.”

Last year, Atlanta voters passed a 40-year half-penny sales tax to expand MARTA.

Clifton Corridor Project
Limmer said with more funds available, a decade-old proposal called the Clifton Corridor light rail project, which has been on the drawing board since 2005, could be one step closer to reality.

With the annexation, about half of the 8-mile light rail project from Lindbergh to Avondale Estates falls within the city of Atlanta, which could fund half of the project. But DeKalb County has not yet said whether it will fund the other half.

“As of now, 50 percent of the local funding required has been identified,” Limmer said. “We would need additional local monies from DeKalb County in order to finance the construction of the remaining half of the Clifton Corridor that will reside outside of the city of Atlanta.”

Limmer said light rail lines nationally cost about $150 million per mile and the city of Atlanta’s 40-year half-penny sales tax is expected to bring in about $65 million per year. Limmer said MARTA intends to seek federal funding for the project, which is near the top of its priority list.

https://www.wabe.org/atlanta-will-ta...ry-annexation/

[Clayton white guy]

I don't consider this a "win" for Atlanta Public Schools; it is ONLY common sense that being in the City of Atlanta equals Atlanta Public Schools as it has for over a century!

[primaltech]

Finally a little tiny sliver of logic, with regards to annexations/new cities. It's refreshing.

[tikigod311]

Once Emory is part of the city, city tax money can be used to fund the Clifton Corridor light-rail MARTA line from Lindbergh Station to the university’s campus. DeKalb’s government doesn’t have funding for MARTA expansion.


“This annexation aligns institutions that need and want public transit with a city government that is eager to lead,” said City of Atlanta Chief Operating Officer Daniel L. Gordon in an August editorial published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Emory, CHOA and the CDC are ready to move forward, and the city of Atlanta is ready to serve.”

UGH

Then Emory, CHOA, and the CDC need to chip in some money. Funding this now, without Dekalb County or the region's support is a losing proposition for Atlanta's transit tax dollars. Without their support, Atlanta will be covering the most expensive part of what should be and was advertised to be a multi-jurisdictional project. Tunneling, a Vehicle Maintenance Facility, rolling stock and extremely expensive connections to Lindbergh should be a shared cost, covered mostly by Dekalb county as this line largely benefits Dekalb county, not the CoA.

This will come at the expense of other transit projects that can likely only be funded the city's transit tax dollars. Projects that only benefit the city like the Crescent Line and the crosstown line going through the AUC, they're not going to get funding from the region. But their future really comes in doubt as we now have to cover more of the cost of the Clifton Corridor. That's not what was intended when the projects were picked for this tax and that's not how the voters approved it.

The annexation is great and everything, so is the Clifton Corridor. But this should be a jointly funded project, not a rush job because a bunch of powerful organizations want to tap into money that is not theirs.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

UGH

Then Emory, CHOA, and the CDC need to chip in some money. Funding this now, without Dekalb County or the region's support is a losing proposition for Atlanta's transit tax dollars. Without their support, Atlanta will be covering the most expensive part of what should be and was advertised to be a multi-jurisdictional project. Tunneling, a Vehicle Maintenance Facility, rolling stock and extremely expensive connections to Lindbergh should be a shared cost, covered mostly by Dekalb county as this line largely benefits Dekalb county, not the CoA.

Other than the sales tax revenue from these places that now get added to the MARTA expansion funds?

I'm all for them donating stuff if they want, but I don't think it's fair to demand they pay any other terms than what the rest of the city is. Especially since the project was on the voter-approved list of projects, and is not some new thing coming out of nowhere.

It will be a joint project, with DeKalb pitching in tons of funds when they get their tax situation figured out as well.

This will come at the expense of other transit projects that can likely only be funded the city's transit tax dollars. Projects that only benefit the city like the Crescent Line and the crosstown line going through the AUC, they're not going to get funding from the region. But their future really comes in doubt as we now have to cover more of the cost of the Clifton Corridor. That's not what was intended when the projects were picked for this tax and that's not how the voters approved it.

This is yet to be seen. As of right now, there is only a $300 Million shortfall between expected tax revenue and federal funds, and the project list.

That can easily be taken care of by, say, the I-20 West HRT extension that has much worse potential for serving either jobs or residents. In fact, it has the worst combined jobs and population value per-mile out of any project voters approved in 2016.

No longer pursuing it would solve all funding problems for the time being.

The annexation is great and everything, so is the Clifton Corridor. But this should be a jointly funded project, not a rush job because a bunch of powerful organizations want to tap into money that is not theirs.

It is, and always has been, a jointly funded project. The City of Atlanta is not paying for the entire route, just the first half. DeKalb will be paying for the rest.

[primaltech]

~1 mile (Zonolite area) and 1 of the planned stations (Briarcliff) of the first half will be in unincorporated DeKalb.

Though IMO that area should also be annexed to the city.

[whodean]

Originally Posted by Clayton white guy

I don't consider this a "win" for Atlanta Public Schools; it is ONLY common sense that being in the City of Atlanta equals Atlanta Public Schools as it has for over a century!

It's a loss for Dekalb schools. Their entrenched corrupt leadership dreads abused families in the area leaving their putrid purview.

Very good news their politicians are unable to keep these kids shackled. Hopefully more annexations or incorporations quickly follow.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by whodean

It's a loss for Dekalb schools. Their entrenched corrupt leadership dreads abused families in the area leaving their putrid purview.

Very good news their politicians are unable to keep these kids shackled. Hopefully more annexations or incorporations quickly follow.

Are DeKalb schools all that bad? We've got some grandkids over there and they flat love it. It's my impression their elementary schools are first rate.

Their parents have no interest whatsoever in being annexed into Atlanta and would most likely resist it vigorously.

[whodean]

Some schools in the northern part of the county do OK DESPITE bad district governance, most with substandard facilities, all while the county wastes a larger percentage of funds outside of the classroom then any District in the state.