You have to put two line breaks where there is only one.

My Veto of TAD funds for the Moore's Mill Extension Project

Greetings:

I am committed to the revitalization of northwest Atlanta communities that have been underserved and neglected for decades. The promise of the Perry Bolton TAD, established in 2002, had gone unrealized and the vote taken by the Atlanta Development Authority in December 2007 to fund the Moore’s Mill Village redevelopment through the TAD was little more than wishful thinking until my Administration engaged the issue and determined to fight the necessary legal battles to validate and issue $21,000,000 in bond funds.

In addition to providing funding support to the West Highlands residential redevelopment, Bolton Village and construction of Fire Station #28, Perry Bolton TAD funding has been committed for the following Moore’s Mill Village center projects:

a. CVS Pharmacy build-out - $300,000

b. Retail center/Publix - $4,700,000

c. Moore’s Mill Road extension - $500,000

Only through the work of my Administration has any progress been made on the Moore’s Mill Village redevelopment. My veto of the legislation appropriating $800,000 in city funds to the Moore’s Mill Road Extension Phase 1 project was prompted by information supplied on Monday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 10, 2015 that $2,000,000 in federal funds had been authorized by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in May 2015. Further, at the City’s request, the FHWA funds were “flexed” into Federal Transit Administration funds, which require a smaller percentage in local matching funds.

Both the FHWA release of funds and the FTA’s approval of the City’s request to transition the funds to FTA dollars have several positive implications for this project and the City of Atlanta:

1. The Moore’s Mill Extension and the Adams Drive Re-alignment projects, at a cost of $2.2 million for both projects, are now both fully funded through the $2 million in federal funds and $500,000 in public funds from Invest Atlanta.
2. Use of federal funds allows the City to save local taxpayer dollars and local impact fees for use on projects that do not qualify for federal funds.
3. The City can access the federal dollars as early as January 2016 which has no negative impact on the current construction schedule provided by Eden’s, the developer of the mixed-use development. (See below)

Since 2010, my Administration has leveraged approximately $157 million in federal dollars to support the City of Atlanta. Failure to fully utilize funding support from our federal partners is wasteful, compromises future funding opportunities and represents a dereliction of duty on behalf of any elected official.

Respectfully,

Mayor Kasim Reed