ANALYSIS: How accessible and transparent is Atlanta’s budget process?

ANALYSIS: How accessible and transparent is Atlanta’s budget process?

The Atlanta City Council will finalize its 2026 budget on Monday. With just a handful of hearings along the way, how accessible was the budget-planning process for everyday Atlantans? Atlanta Civic Circle examined how Boston and Chicago engage the public in budget planning. Though these cities and their budgets are larger than Atlanta’s, they have recently increased resident involvement in their spending decisions. Here’s how Atlanta stacks up—a…