Government Overview Final Project
Government Overview Summary 1
Team 4,
Very thorough job on the week 2 government overview summary, in which you used the CAFR information for Atlanta. You covered the required elements, and your information was accurate, informative and well organized. Please be mindful of the word count limit in the future.
Government Overview Summary
Cori Purnell, Diana Kline, Grace Acevedo, and Jarett McCullum
University of Phoenix – AJS 574
July 27, 2020
Introduction
Annual budgets provide structure. A budget is especially useful for providing an organization guidance regarding the direction in which it is to spend its monies, predict cash flows, allocate resources, and measure performance. This summary will provide a government overview regarding the City of Atlanta, Georgia. Within you will find information on population, government structure, the size of the budget and its interrelationships with the comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR), major industries located in the entity, the budget calendar, and other pertinent demographic information.
Population
Atlanta had 1.1 million new residents between the years of 1990-2000. In 2019, Atlanta had a population of 5,689,000. So far in 2020, there is an approximate population of 5,803,000. (Atlanta Metro Area Population 1950-2020, n.d.)
Government Structure
In Atlanta, the City Council is responsible of creating the governing laws by developing policies that control operational standards and determines the boundaries for the City government administration.
There are two forms of legislation: Ordinances - an ordinance institutes a perpetual rule of government. Each official act of the council must be an ordinance due to it having the power and effect of law, and the ordinance must be presented to the full council at two regular meetings. An exception to this rule would be a city charter amendment which requires three interpretations; Resolutions – commonly conveys support of several projects or businesses or creates a legislative policy. These are presented only once before the full council and can be approved and implemented in the same meeting. (How Your Council Works | Atlanta City Council, GA).
The council is composed of fifteen (15) members of which twelve (12) are elected from what is known as “single member districts” and the remainder (3) elected citywide. In the case of a tie in votes, it is the vote of Council President that decides. The Council President applies all privileges and emits all duties in the absence of a mayor be it by disability or vacancy.
Members of the Council are elected for a four- year term starting the first Monday of January and elect an interim president serving a one-year term beginning with the first meeting in January, having 4 interim presidents in a four-year term. The interim president has the duty to oversee council meeting in the absence of the president.
The government counts with the responsibility of the following departments: Aviation, Corrections, Finance, Fire, Human Resources, Information Technology, Law, Parks and Recreation, Procurement, City Planning, Watershed Management, and Public Works.
Size of Budget and CAFR
A Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) is an important document that outlines the U.S. government's financial statements. CAFR depicts the financial statements of all government entities, including states, municipals, and counties. The information presented in CAFR can help ascertain the government's operational structure, population, and relationship between the government and major industries.
The government budget is the main element of CAFR, comprising of proprietary funds, fiduciary funds, and government funds (Thornton, 2012). The funding history of the government depicts the structure of government operations. CAFR shows that the government structure includes public operations, business transactions, and the maintenance of trusts with other people.
CAFR also determines the state's population by mentioning the main sources of resources and the distribution of the resources. The main population groups addressed in CAFR include the taxpayers and the beneficiaries of government programs. All the population groups appear in the budget of the government (Thornton, 2012). CAFR also reveals the relationship between the government and all industries. Industries and the government have a mutually sustainable relationship, enabling the government to benefit through taxes. At the same time, it implements policies that help maintain a balance among the industry players. CAFR mostly focuses on the people and the financial resources rather than the place where the people live (Thornton, 2012). Therefore, demographics are an important factor in developing a comprehensive CAFR, which can apply to learning more about government operations, structure, and relationships.
Major Industries
The City of Atlanta has some of the Nation’s major industry giants like Coca-Cola, Bell South, Delta Airlines, Home Depot, UPS and Georgia-Pacific and as of 2000 there were 24 Fortune 500 companies based in Atlanta.
Atlanta has an incentive program for people to start new an up incoming businesses as well for companies that are planning to leave the area as well…Atlanta has seen a decrease in unemployment due to the major industries located in Atlanta because these business bring in more jobs for the residents to be gainful employed. (Atlanta: Economy-Major Industries and Commercial Activity, Incentive Programs New and Existing Companies, 2014)
Budget Calendar
The fiscal year for the City of Atlanta ends June 30th annually. The Mayor, City Council, Budget Commission, and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) all have a role in the budget process. The Mayor prepares and submits the proposed annual budget to the governing body no later than its first regular meeting in May, preceding the commencement of the fiscal year. He/She then will consider the resolution submitted by the City Council’s Finance/Executive Committee, based on council members’ suggestions for budget priorities. The Mayor and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) may choose to consider the resolution in preparing the budget. The City Council will hold one or more public hearings on the proposed budget and must advertises those meeting(s) in a general publication at least seven (7) days before the date of the hearing.
Any amendments to the proposed annual budget mat be made as necessary, so long as the final version allows for all legal and charter-mandated expenditures. The City Council has until June to adopt the annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The Budget Commission works alongside the City Council to submit an anticipated revenue report to the Mayor for use in preparing the budget. The anticipated revenue needed needs no approval or disapproval, as they are binding upon the City Council. Chief Financial Officer had five days before the meeting at which the final budget will be submitted to the City Council, the CFO must provide a complete detailed written copy of the final version of the budget. (City of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms Mayor Fiscal Year 2021 Proposed Budget. (n.d.).)
Demographic Information
Atlanta is the largest city in Georgia. It is also the 36th largest city in the United States and has seen a 24.7% increase in its population since 2020. Atlanta possesses a GDP (gross domestic product) of $276 billion, ranking as the 10th city economically stable in the nation.
The urban population of Atlanta represents 4.5 million while the metropolitan area represents 5.6 million, being Atlanta the 9th largest city in the U.S. It is the second largest black majority metropolitan area in the country and during the last ten years, African Americans have been relocating to the suburbs, decreasing the population in the city to a 54% in the year 2010. The white population in its metropolitan area exceeded 5.5 million citizens in 2013. Atlanta also represents the 19the major U.S. LGBT population, estimating a 4.2% of the population. Cherokee and Creek Indians are the nearest Indian settlement to Atlanta.
The projected population growth for 2020 is of over 8 million people. (Atlanta Population & Demographics, Median Income - Point2)
Conclusion
Putting together a working budget for the City of Atlanta continues to be a positive experience for everyone involved. All parties are aware that over the years expenses increase as areas degrade and labor and supplies increase in cost. A good budget shows that the inhabitants of that City are looking out for the public’s wellbeing and overall workforce. They continue to show a strong performance and effort aiming for the improvement and prosperity of the economy.
References
City of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms Mayor Fiscal Year 2021 Proposed Budget. (n.d.). Retrieved July 26, 2020, from https://aimewebapp.blob.core.windows.net/sitefiles/FY2021%20Proposed%20Budget%20Book_Final%2005032020.pdf
Atlanta Population & Demographics, Median Income - Point2. Retrieved from
https://www.point2homes.com/US/Neighborhood/GA/Atlanta-Demographics.html
How Your Council Works | Atlanta City Council, GA. Retrieved from
https://citycouncil.atlantaga.gov/how-your-council-works
Atlanta Metro Area Population 1950-2020. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.macrotrends.net/cities/22922/atlanta/population
Atlanta: Economy-Major Industries and Commercial Activity, Incentive Programs New and Existing Companies. (2014). Retrieved from
http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-South/Atlanta-Economy.html
Thornton, J. B. (2012). Archiving of Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs) on State Government Web Sites. Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian, 31(2), 87-95