Atlanta City Council to continue meetings on proposed 2026 budget Thursday
Atlanta City Council discussing budget
The Atlanta City Council is currently hearing from multiple departments about their needs as they consider the budget for the fiscal year of 2026. The fire department presented their case on Wednesday.
ATLANTA - Atlanta City Council budget hearings are underway this week, with four more departments set to present their proposed budgets for Fiscal Year 2026.
On Wednesday, five city departments, including Atlanta Fire Rescue, outlined their financial needs.
Fire Chief Roderick Smith addressed the issue of excessive non-emergency calls and highlighted plans to better manage those incidents. He proposed a budget of more than $137 million—an increase of approximately $19 million from the previous year. Some of the additional funding could go toward replacing or building new fire stations across the city.
Today’s hearings will begin at 9:30 a.m., with the Atlanta Police Department first on the agenda to make its case before council members.
The backstory:
The City of Atlanta is proposing a total operating budget of $3 billion for 2026, including a $975 million General Fund budget. The money would be used for core city services and is funded through a variety of sources, including property taxes, sales taxes, and hotel/motel taxes.
The 2026 proposed budget was presented by Mayor Andre Dickens in late April.
RELATED: City of Atlanta releases proposed $3B operating budget for 2026
The City of Atlanta must also deal with a $20 million shortfall from this year's budget. The budget gap was reportedly a result of several events, including snowstorms, former President Jimmy Carter's funeral, and providing security for the new Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, which was the target of vandals and activists opposed to the project.
RELATED: Atlanta looks at layoffs, cuts to new city budget as it faces $20M deficit
The Center for Civic Innovation, Atlanta Civic Circle and Canopy Atlanta have put together a guide to understanding the budget. It can be found by clicking here.
What's next:
The City Council has to approve the budget no later than June. The new fiscal year begins on July 1, 2025. Each city department must justify its budget requests in detail to the City Council.
City officials are also waiting to confirm whether expected federal funding will still be available after the Trump administration indicated major cuts. Additionally, the city has to plan for several major events over the course of the next year, including preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.