Atlanta Proposition A

Voting here in Cass County is coming up quickly and there are plenty of things on the ballot that may not be familiar to everyone.

One of those is Proposition A for the City of Atlanta. Atlanta Mayor, Marshall James Brooks IV, discussed the Proposition in layman’s terms through his perspective.

“We are looking to relocate sales tax, in which 50 percent of that goes to the Cass County Economic Development, and move it to the city’s General Fund,” Brooks said. “It won’t affect any services or abilities of the EDC, the EDC is still adequately funded, it doesn’t cost anybody anything, tax-wise it’s already taken care of so it’s a win-win for everyone.”

“The EDC is heavily restricted on how they use their funds and is limited by certain criteria but the city isn’t. With this move the city would be able to plug those funds where needed,” Brooks remarked. “An example would be retaining police officers by pay, fixing city streets, or taking care of our neighborhoods.”

“By relocating funds, we can put the money where it is needed most,” Brooks added. “You know when a disaster happens the first thing we ask is ‘Where are we going to get the money for this’? If this passes it will help us be proactive in using the funds where needed.”

Early voting started Monday and election day is Nov. 7.