WABE: Council Overrides Veto on Fire Station (2008-09-02)

Atlanta

Council Overrides Veto on Fire Station

Odette Yousef (2008-09-02)

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ATLANTA, GA (WABE) - The Atlanta City Council has overriden the mayor's veto of an ordinance that would reopen Fire Station Number 7 in the West End. The vote followed an impromptu back-and-forth with Mayor Shirley Franklin, who showed up unexpectedly at Council's regular meeting.

The override passed 11-3, opposed only by councilmembers Natalyn Archibong, Anne Fauver, and Claire Muller.

Now, it's up to Mayor Franklin to direct the city's fire chief to open the station, which was closed in July due to a budget deficit. Prior to voting, Councilmember Felicia Moore asked Franklin whether she would do that. Franklin responded:

FRANKLIN: I reserve all of my options.

Cliff Albright, of the community group Georgia Stand Up, believes Franklin will re-open the station, but is still on guard:

ALBRIGHT: She's been promising doom and gloom and all kind of other cuts if this happens, and so we still need to see what's going to be done.

The ordinance pulls $1.1 million to reopen the station out of other departments' consulting, supplies, travel, and non-personnel budgets.
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