Atlanta Can’t Use School Funds To Pay For BeltLine

ATLANTA (CN) - The Georgia Supreme Court ruled that the city of Atlanta cannot use school funds to finance its $2.8 billion BeltLine redevelopment project, which will include public parks, multi-use trails and a 22-mile transit loop.

Resident John Woodham challenged the issuance of city tax allocation bonds, claiming the proposal violated the Educational Purpose Clause of the Georgia Constitution.

The lower courts ruled against Woodham, but Justice Thompson found that the proposal is not an explicit expenditure for educational purposes.

The BeltLine Plan did not accept the funds without the schools' consent. In fact, the schools pledged a portion of its property tax receipts to help fund the project.

However, Thompson ruled that the plan does not have a direct connection to the operation of Atlanta schools.

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