Atlanta Regional Commission

History

ARC's earliest predecessor, the Atlanta Metropolitan Planning Commission was founded in 1947 by Dekalb and Fulton counties, and the city of Atlanta, which spans both counties. In 1960, the commission expanded as the Atlanta Regional Metropolitan Planning Commission, to represent the five-county Atlanta region. In 1971, the Georgia General Assembly created the Atlanta Regional Commission, by vesting and consolidating its immediate predecessor's functions, along with the functions of other regional bodies such as the Metropolitan Atlanta Council for Health, Atlanta Area Transportation Study in ARC. Since then, ARC's jurisdiction has grown to its current size of 11 counties and 75 municipalities.

In February 2020, ARC approved $173 billion over the next 30 years on traffic and public transit projects in its jurisdiction, including highway expansions, new transit lines, and bus rapid transit lines. In August 2024, ARC approved $265 million in transportation projects.

Membership

The Board membership of the commission includes:

1. Each county commission chairman in the 11-county region;
2. One mayor from each county (except Fulton County);
3. One mayor from the northern half of Fulton County and one mayor from the southern half of Fulton County;
4. The mayor of the City of Atlanta;
5. One member of the Atlanta City Council;
6. Fifteen private citizens, one from each of the 15 multi-jurisdictional districts of roughly equal population, elected by the 23 public officials; and
7. One member appointed by the Board of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

Agency structure and functions

The ARC is divided into numerous department covering a broad range of issues, from the region's growing senior population to region-wide transit issues to geographic information system data. The agency's structure and functions can be outlined as follows:

• Center for Community Services: Aging & Health Resources Division, Homeland Security & Recovery Division, and Workforce Solutions Division
• Center for Livable Communities: Community Development Division, Mobility Services Division, Natural Resources Division, Research & Analytics Division, and Transportation Access & Mobility Division
• Center for Strategic Relations: Communications & Marketing Division, Community Engagement Division, and Governmental Affairs Division
• Office of the Executive Director and Support services: Financial Services Division, General Services Division, Information Technology Division, Strategic Initiatives Division, Talent Management Division, and Secretary to the Board

Awards

Each fall, the ARC gives awards for noteworthy new projects. The categories are:

• Development of Excellence, which usually goes to large projects like a redone town square
• Exceptional Merit for Context Sensitive Neighborhood Infill Design
• Exceptional Merit for Historic Preservation
• Exceptional Merit for Infill Redevelopment
• Livable Centers Initiative Achievement Award

Criticisms

In 2018, a Georgia state audit found a pattern of poor financial recordkeeping, questionable spending practices, and misuse of purchasing cards at ARC, including misuse by Doug Hooker, the commission's executive director.

References

References

1. "Annual Comprehensive Financial Report Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2023".
2. Donsky, Paul. (2024-07-10). "ARC 2024 Population Estimates Show Atlanta Region Adds 62,700 Residents in Past Year".
3. Hallerman, Tamar. "Georgia is nowhere near last battle in tri-state water wars". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
4. Wickert, David. "How would you fix metro Atlanta's traffic mess?". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
5. Relations, United States Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental. (1973). "Substate Regionalism and the Federal System: Regional governance: promise and performance; case studies". U.S. Government Printing Office.
6. Wickert, David. "Board approves $173 billion metro Atlanta road and transit plan". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
7. (2024-08-31). "Atlanta Regional Commission approves $265 million for transport projects across metro area".
8. Estep, Tyler. "State audit finds questionable spending at Atlanta Regional Commission". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.