By Madi Sutter

The Mableton City Council unanimously approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Spending Plan in its September 25 council meeting. 

The FY 2025 General Fund Spending Plan projects revenues and expenditures from October 1 2024 through June 30 2025. The Spending Plan’s revenues are $13,979,123, with the three largest sources coming from franchise fees, insurance premium tax, and Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) or vehicles taxes. The projected revenues exceed projected expenditures by $572,560 – as the council plans to take a conservative approach during its first year of operations. The revenue plan also outlines the budgeted maximum possible salaries of the mayor, council members, and all city departments’ budgets. It was clarified during the meeting that the listed salaries are the maximum amount possible, rather than the actual salary of employees. Individual salaries are not set by the Spending Plan, but by separate resolutions.

During the presentation of the Spending Plan, City Manager Bill Tanks discussed changes made to the plan between the previous hearing of it and Wednesday. Among those changes was the addition of $100,000 allocated to external legal contract services. City Attorney Emilia C. Walker-Ashby explained these funds are going to the city’s legal representation in the lawsuit challenging the legality of the establishment of Mableton, which is being reconsidered on appeal after an initial court’s decision in favor of the city. 

During public comment on the Spending Plan, a resident asked about the numerous line items for contractors and consultants. Tanks explained that the city’s newly formed status constitutes a period of transition during which consultants and contractors are necessary for planning purposes. 

Wednesday’s meeting also included a presentation by Georgia Power representatives  involving their storm preparation process. Ahead of Hurricane Helene, Georgia power has planned to bring in additional support and the rollout of a communication plan to keep residents updated on power outages and storm damage. Georgia Power District Manager David Williams said that residents can report storm damage to Georgia Power and, even if the line or system is not Georgia Power owned and operated, they will work to connect the complaint to the correct entity to address the issue. 

The next city council meeting will be on Wednesday, October 9th at 6:30 PM. 

Madi Sutter has been reporting on city events from local council meetings to K-12 education for over four years. As a graduate of Emory University, she developed a love for Georgia politics and communities. She received her Masters degree in Journalism in 2022 from the University of Missouri at Columbia and currently resides in Little Rock, Arkansas. When she’s not covering Cobb County events, you can find her with a book in one hand and a coffee in the other on her porch.