atlanta mainstream
ATL schools fight $18 million hit from new TAD bill
Atlanta Public Schools are fighting changes to a bill that would let Tax Allocation Districts spend school tax money. A state Senate committee last week amended the bill to say a school board that had already approved a TAD would not have to vote on it again. School board chair LaChandra Butler Burks (right) says […]
Cagle denies role in inserting retroactive provision in TAD bill
This came in from Cagle’s spokeswoman, Jaillene Hunter, in response to rumors that Cagle had asked the Senate Finance Committee to: “To be clear, the Lt Governor had absolutely no involvement in a Senate substitute to H.B. 63. We are unaware of who suggested he was, but it is a completely false assumption. “H.B. 63 […]
McDonald paid 20K in 2008 — but to whom?
Georgia Public Service Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald Jr., facing a possible five-figure fine for breaking election finance laws in 2002, filed campaign finance reports with similar discrepancies in 2008, state records show. McDonald last week admitted dozens of violations in reporting the finances for his 2002 campaign. He blamed the mistakes on his campaign staff […]
TAD reauthorization snags Gainesville schools (maybe Cagle, too)
The amended House Bill 63, which reauthorizes spending of school tax money for non-school purposes in tax allocation districts, may also sweep up Gainesville city schools. Unlike Atlanta, Gainesville school officials have changed their minds and want out of the TAD there — at least for now. The Georgia Supreme Court ruled last year that […]
BeltLine funding bill would circumvent new school board vote
Legislation assigning $850 million in Atlanta school taxes to the city’s BeltLine project without a vote passed the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday. New language inserted in the bill (reproduced below) means the Atlanta Board of Education would not have to reauthorize funds to a Tax Allocation District for the BeltLine. The board’s 2005 vote […]
Tax liens totaling $248K filed against 12 Georgia legislators
Liens for a combined $248,402 in back taxes have been filed against 12 Georgia legislators, property records show. State officials recently said 19 members of the General Assembly did not file a Georgia income tax return in 2007. The Revenue Department had not yet filed liens against them, so the legislators’ names were blocked out […]
PSC’s McDonald faces $25K ethics fine
Public Service Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald is looking at a possible $24,850 fine for campaign finance violations during his 2002 race against Angela Speir. McDonald failed to report $46,000 in campaign contributions and $76,000 in spending from that race, a state investigator testified today.
Where did the money go?
By JIM WALLS March 23, 2009 — State Rep. Pam Stephenson has failed to report more than $27,000 in political donations from special-interest groups since 2003, records show. A pending state ethics complaint alleges the DeKalb County Democrat apparently failed to disclose about $20,000 in contributions. The complaint did not specify the source of the […]
Bank sues Regents chairman Tucker over ‘fraudulent’ land deal
A Blairsville-based bank is suing Richard L. Tucker, chairman of the state Board of Regents, to block what it described as the “fraudulent” transfer of $2 million in real estate on Lake Burton and Sea Island, property records show. United Community Bank sued Tucker (right) and several businesses Oct. 28 in Gwinnett County Superior Court. […]
