Series of Luncheons at 103 West in Buckhead

Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation Luncheon at 103 West (103 West Paces) March 9th, 2010 Mayor Kasim Reed On... Pension Fund Water and Sewer Infrastructure Property Taxes Crime and Public Safety Hiring Senior Level Staff Rec Center Openings Mayor Kasim Reed Dear Members and Supporters, The Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation cordially invites you to a Black Tie Dinner/Dance on October 10th, 8 pm, at the Capital City Club in Brookhaven. The theme of the evening will be "A New Future For Atlanta", with Guest Speaker Mayor Eva Galambos of Sandy Springs and Representative Wendell Willard, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Sandy Springs has outsourced every city service other than Police, Fire and 911, and is today considered a "Model City" by Governing Magazine as well as "one of the best cities in America" by Forbes Magazine. The Property Tax Millage of Sandy Springs is 4.7 compared to 10.12 of Atlanta. The City of Atlanta is more than double the tax rate of Sandy Springs! Representative Wendell Willard is planning to introduce a bill that would require outsourcing of city, county and school services--other than Police and Fire--if outsourcing is proven to be (through bidding) more economical and efficient than government-provided services.  Wendell Willard's Bill According to the City of Atlanta Turnaround Plan by Bain & Company, page 53, "Savings from marketization (outsourcing) city services can be significant". The Turnaround Plan indicates the savings from outsourcing Garbage Collection can be as much as 60%, Recreation Facilities, 52%, Road Maintenance, 50%, Airport Management, 40%, etc., etc. The cost of this Dinner/Dance is fair and reasonable: including a three-course gourmet dinner, dinner wine, dance music and valet parking, the cost is $100 per person. Because seating is extremely limited, please do not delay in sending a check to the Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation, 309 East Paces Ferry Road, Suite 607, Atlanta, GA 30305 or by ordering online If there are any questions, feel free to call (404) 869-6066. All contributions are tax-deductible. Sincerely, John S. Sherman President Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation Host Committee Ron & Trish Bell Jill Berry Chris & Merry Carlos Billy Corey John & Fay Donaldson Jim & Norma Edenfield Anne Eldridge Lisa Fuller Julia Greer Bob & Lynn Irwin Donna Kane Pano Karatassos Joe & Joyce Kelly Phil & Bonnie Kent Tex & Diane McIver Tom & Linda Morris Reg Regenstein Sharon Silva Jerry & Dottie Smith Howard & Irene Stein Jade Sykes Joe & Jane Taylor Barbara White Lucy Willard Wendell & Vicki Willard Tuesday, April 14th, 2009, Noon to 1:30pm How Fulton County Could Improve Its Governance To Prevent Any Secession *Guest Speakers Include* Hon. John Eaves, Chairman, Fulton Cty Board of Commissioners Mayor Eva Galambos of Sandy Springs Mayor Jere Wood of Roswell Mayor Mike Bodker of Johns Creek Representative Roger Bruce, President, Fulton Cty Delegation With Over 30 Elected Officials from Fulton County The taxpayers of North Fulton, with 29% of the County's population paying 42% of all County Property Tax, feel they are overtaxed and that the County Board of Commissioners have ignored their needs. The impact of such proposed secession would be the loss of $193 million in County revenues (approximately 1/3 of the entire current General Fund Budget of $639,957,666) from North Fulton and significantly higher County taxes for the remaining taxpayers of Fulton County. Voting is limited ONLY to North Fulton residents! PROPERTY TAX APPEAL WORKSHOPS March 7th, 2009, North Atlanta High School, 2875 Northside Drive February 21st, 2009, North Fulton County Service Center, 7741 Roswell Rd February 14th, 2009, North Atlanta High School, 2875 Northside Drive January 31st, 2009, North Atlanta High School, 2875 Northside Drive Join the Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation for our Property Tax Appeal Workshops, held throughout Fulton County! Every year, more folks are left feeling daunted by the concept of their property taxes. With the housing downturn on the front page of many newspapers across the Country and rising property taxes, it is imperative to know your rights as a Taxpayer! Our workshops will provide the information you need to prepare for an appeal and answer questions about the process. Wednesday, February 11th, 2009, Noon to 1:30pm Preventing The Bankruptcy of Atlanta The Guest Speaker will be Leonard Gilroy, Director of Government Reform of the Reason Foundation, a highly-regarded, non-profit think tank advancing free markets. Mr. Gilroy, a Certified Urban Planner (AICP), researches privatization, government reform, transportation, infrastructure and urban policy issues. He is also Editor of the world’s most respected newsletter on privatization, Privatization Watch, and is the Editor of the widely-read Annual Privatization Report, which examines trends and chronicles the experiences of local, state and federal governments in bringing competition to public services. The coming speech before the Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation is titled “Preventing The Bankruptcy of Atlanta.” Wednesday, December 10th, Noon to 1:30pm Could this lower your taxes by 54%? House Majority Leader Jerry Keen and Dr. Don Rooks of the Georgia School Boards Association  will speak on Representative Keen's bill to substitute the Education Property Tax with a Sales Tax of 5%. Luncheon at 103 West (103 West Paces) September 11th, Noon to 1:30pm City of Atlanta vs. City of Buckhead - WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Mr. Delk has been a practicing lawyer in the City of Atlanta since 1976. He and his law school roommate have operated their own firm since 1990. A graduate of Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt Law School, Mr. Delk represents private investors and companies in business and real estate transactions, as well as civil litigation. In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Delk has been actively involved in the school choice and charter school movement in Georgia and throughout the country. With Atlanta's Public Schools spending over $500 million of property tax revenue annually, APS now represents over 50% of the average taxpayer's annual tax bill. Mr. Delk's talk will address how the budget of APS impacts the possible formation of a City of Buckhead. A native of Savannah, Georgia, Mr. Delk and his wife, Barbara, raised three daughters in Buckhead where they still reside. Luncheon at 103 West (103 West Paces) at Noon, April 23rd, 2008 Assessment Letters will be coming out in mid-August! Event with Chief Appraiser for Fulton County Burt Manning Burt Manning  Chief Appraiser of Fulton County                Luncheon at 103 West (103 West Paces) at Noon, February 20th, 2008 Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson will speak on his proposal to "Significantly Reduce Property Taxes". Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson has filed a proposal that would freeze existing residential property taxes, stating "Georgia homeowners have had no protection from backdoor tax increases; my proposal would significantly reduce property taxes." Senator Johnson not only serves as Senate President Pro Tem, but is also Chairman of the Senate Administrative Affairs Committee, having been named one of "100 Most Influential Georgians" by both Georgia Trend and James Magazines. Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson             Luncheon at 103 West (103 West Paces) at Noon, January 23rd, 2008 Lt. Governor Casey Cagle spoke on Georgia and the Southeast Water Crisis “In order to win, we have to demonstrate that we are managing that resource. That’s why we’re passing the statewide water management plan to ensure that the framework is in place, that a blueprint is laid out in front of us to manage the resource.” Lt. Governor Cagle. Lt. Governor Cagle               May 6th at GaTech's Ferst Center - the Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation's Climate Change Summit. The Summit was a one-day public event on the issues facing Georgia associated with climate change. The objective of this Summit was to open a statewide dialogue on the challenges of climate change, its impacts on Georgia, and opportunities for success now and in the future. The Conference was also highlight how state and local governments, businesses and industries, and other leaders from the public and private sector are already reacting to the challenges and opportunities associated with climate change. See this link for more information http://climatesummit.gatech.edu/index.htm.