Public Hearing: YES ☐ NO ☒ Department: Board of Commissioners - District 6
SUBJECT:
Title
Commission District(s): All Commission Districts
To Appropriate $9,836 from the District 6 Operating Reserves to Urban3 to Fund Part One of Three of the Equity Analysis of DeKalb County Project, “Phase I: Revenue Modeling Update”
Body
Information Contact: Commissioner Edward C. “Ted” Terry
Phone Number: 404-371-4909
PURPOSE:
To appropriate $9,836 from the District 6 Operating Reserves to Urban3 to fund part one of three of the Equity Analysis of DeKalb County Project, “Phase 1: Revenue Modeling Update”. In April 2024 (Agenda Item 2024-0479), Urban3 began conducting an analysis of county revenue impacts from focus areas in DeKalb County, accompanied by examples of case studies across the country. This work concluded in October 2024 with a community presentation. The Equity Analysis of DeKalb County Project will build from this previous work by further investigating state and local tax policies and practices for evidence of systemic algorithmic and human biases in DeKalb County.
Phase I is the beginning of the project and begins with an update of the previous analysis, dedicating time to acquiring, correcting, and synthesizing recent tax parcel data for the County as needed. Proposal is attached.
NEED/IMPACT:
Urban3’s research, along with emerging national evidence, suggests that there are long-standing racial inequities in property tax administration that place unfair financial burdens on low-income residents and communities of color. These disparities may have cascading impacts on housing affordability, gentrification, displacement, and household economics, and may ultimately become a driver of many disparities. This analysis will assess DeKalb County’s current status and have the opportunity to elevate the perspectives of historically marginalized communities, particularly those most affected by existing biases in the property tax system. The ultimate goal of the entire project is to visualize the extent of the potential bias or inequity in DeKalb County’s approach to assessment and utilize the findings to inform potential adjustments to policy. This analysis will also conclude in a presentation.
In Phase 1: Revenue Modeling Update, Urban3 will update the past analysis normalizing and mapping tax values on a per-acre basis and update past visuals. This will provide the foundational data for the remainder of the project
FISCAL IMPACT:
Board of Commissioners - District 6 - General Fund - Reserve for Appropriation (00206.579002.100.0000.0000) -
$10,000.00
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
To approve the appropriation of $10,000 from the 2024 District 6 Operating Reserve and authorize the Chief Executive Officer or his designee to execute all necessary documents.