1 - Ivan Allen, Jr. Digital Collection - Georgia Institute of Technology

JACK TARVER, Pre,iden!PAGE 4-A. MO~DAY. DECEMBER 23. 1974Cut the BudgetThe Atlanta City Council's Fi~nceCommittee has shown good commoosense, financial knowledge, andstrength of courage in ils actions toeliminate a $4·million gap in the city'sbudget for next year.Mayor Maynard Jeckson haslabeled tbe committee's actions as"irresponsible" but be is wrong. If hewants to see who is being irresponsi·ble in the struggle to balance AUan·ta·s budget, he has only to look in themirror.The measures proposed br. the committeewould cut $3.685 million fromthe proposed budget, while addingabout $500,000 in new revenues froma new property tax millage increase',of .26 mill (26/l00ths of one mill),The committee's package Includesrequiring city employes to take fivedays of unpaid vacation during 1975, ameasllre which would save the city$1.25 million. The full City Councilhas already voted this down once, butlhat doesn't mean it will this time.Other budget-cutting measures proposedby the committee include reducingthe funding for replacement equipmentby $1 million; eliminating$400,000 set aside for funding of thepolice helicopter squad after federalLaw Enforcement Assistance Administrationfunds run out Aug. 31; the'reduction of several office budgetsand that of various programs, includ­Ing a proposed consumer affairs office;and various other cut·backs inspending, Taken all together, the actionswould bring Atlanta's proposed1975 budget into balance.And In these difficult economiclimes. thal's exacUy what is neededREG MURPIIY, Editorwithout the higher property tax Increasethat Jackson had been boostIngbut which was defeated by the CityCouncil last week in favor of a 1.04mill increase. The new proposal ofadding .26 mill more to the rateseems a small, necessary evil to helpreplace revenues lost through the increaseof homestead exemptions to'5,000 from '2,000.Jackson thinks the proposals areirresponsible for various reasons, includingthat they would mean a reductionin some city programs and services.But the adioM are not intendedto last forever; they are aimed at 1975alone to balance the dty's budgetwithout putting an even heavier loadon the already overloaded taxpayers.It may be that by 1976 the reductionscan be reinstated, or it might be clearthen that there's no other cboice but atax increase, But that clearly Isn't thecase now.The committee's proposals wonunammous approval on an Informal,5·0 voice vole by committee membersIra Jackson, Richard Guthman, Q, V,Williamson, Carl Ware, and E.Gregory Griggs. The measures willcome up for consideration by the fullCity Council today, and hopefully theCouncil will sbow the same financialseBSe as its finance committee,That would be a strong show of respons.ibilityby the Council, showingthat .It too understands that a personor city doesn't improve its financialposition and reduce its debts by spendingmore and more money, It just'doesn't work that way, for sooner orlater it will all collapse. Mayor Jack·son is sincere in his views. But it justso happens that this time he's wrongand the finaDCe committee is right."""".The council Mood