The Atlanta City Council has approved a plan that could fund much-needed raises for public safety officials.

Councilman Michael Bond says it would entail the creation of a Public Safety Special Funding District. The district would allow for a not-yet-determined, but dedicated, revenue source to be tapped to fund public safety capital costs. The source for the money could come from a number of places--for instance, a fraction of property taxes, traffic tickets, parking fines, or impact fees.

"We could offload our capital expenditures into that fund, freeing up money in our general fund to pay the salaries and benefits of police, fire, and Corrections folks," says Bond.

Public safety salaries must come out of the city's general fund because it is a guaranteed source of revenue.

The council's vote on the resolution this week directs the Chief Financial Officer to conduct research on setting up a district, and report back to the council within no more than four months. The resolution says the report should include a comparison and benchmark assessment of how other similar jurisdictions have established similar districts, identification of a funding source, a needs assessments of the involved Departments (Police, Fire, and Corrections), and establishment of a governing authority.

Bond says Cobb and Gwinnett Counties are doing something similar.

Voters would have to okay the plan, as well as potentially whether the revenue source should come from the millage rate, the way the current Park Improvement fund. Voters would also have to approve any increase--which could be prickly, if the fund uses property taxes. But Bond optimistically believes voters would like the idea.

"It could cost you money, and it costs the taxpayers in Cobb and Gwinnett money, but they continue to approve it because it's strictly for public safety, and they know exactly where the money is going," says Bond. "It's not being diverted anywhere."

Bond says Atlanta police salaries trail the national average. The Atlanta Police Foundation commissioned a study by Mercer, a consulting firm, which pegged Atlanta salaries at 20% below peers in comparable cities.