During this week’s Finance/Executive Committee (FEC) meeting, City leadership delivered a clear and disciplined message: Atlanta is financially strong, strategically managed and positioned for long-term stability.
At a time when national headlines reflect volatility—including federal shutdown threats, economic uncertainty and local governments announcing funding gaps—the City of Atlanta stands on firm fiscal ground.
By maintaining more than $200 million in reserves, earning a clean audit and preserving an AAA credit rating, Atlanta demonstrates to residents, employees and investors that it manages its resources with discipline and responsibility. These benchmarks reflect not only strong financial controls, but a commitment to long-term sustainability. They are not abstract metrics—they are measurable indicators of strong governance, sound internal controls and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
“Atlanta’s financial strength is not accidental. It is the result of deliberate planning, early intervention and a culture of accountability across every department. When we saw fiscal pressures emerging last year, we did not wait. We adjusted. We tightened oversight. We aligned leadership. And we made disciplined decisions designed to protect both today’s operations and tomorrow’s investments,” said City of Atlanta Chief Financial Officer Mohamed Balla.
In 2025, Balla was named CFO of the year by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and the National Association of Securities Professionals.
Last year brought real fiscal pressure, including projections of a potential deficit. Rather than delay decisions or defer accountability, the Dickens Administration acted early and strategically.
Under the leadership of CFO Mohamad Balla and Chief Operating Officer LaChandra Burks, departments across the enterprise aligned around a focused plan to protect the City’s long-term financial health.
That plan included:
- Proactive cost-containment measures
- Enhanced revenue forecasting and monitoring,
- Careful oversight of personnel growth through the Vacancy Review Board.
The Vacancy Review Board played a critical role by prioritizing mission-critical hires while pausing non-essential expansion. This disciplined approach stabilized expenditures without disrupting core services or slowing progress on key priorities.
While the City has made meaningful progress, leadership is clear-eyed that the broader economic environment remains unpredictable. External pressures—from federal funding uncertainty to shifting economic conditions—have not disappeared, and continued vigilance will be essential. Atlanta is not resting on its results. The same discipline that guided the City through last year’s fiscal pressures will guide its decisions in the months ahead.
Through coordinated leadership, strategic oversight, and disciplined management, the City of Atlanta has positioned itself not only to weather uncertainty, but to lead through it.
Financial stability allows Atlanta to continue delivering on its commitments — protecting taxpayer dollars while investing strategically in affordable housing, public safety, critical infrastructure, and expanded opportunity for all Atlantans.
