Council members blast Franklin over NASCAR offer

By TY TAGAMI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/06/06

Several members of Atlanta City Council lashed out at Mayor Shirley Franklin on Monday for proposing to give NASCAR millions of dollars without asking them first.

Last week, it was revealed that the city had sent NASCAR Chief Executive Officer Brian France a letter with an offer of government-backed bonds to cover the cost of constructing a hall of fame here.

Councilwoman Felicia Moore and three colleagues — C.T. Martin, Natalyn Archibong and Anne Fauver — all said they were not informed until after the fact about Franklin's Feb. 23 letter offering $77 million. The four council members together represent about a third of the city's population — about 100,000 Atlantans.

"The mayor often boasts of her administration's openness and transparency in government, but in this case it was closed and behind the backs of" four council members, Moore said at Monday's council meeting.

Nine members of the council, plus council President Lisa Borders, signed the letter. It talked of the city's "commitment" to attracting the hall of fame and proposed government-backed financing totalling $102 million, which included $25 million from the state.

Martin said the letter "obligated" the city to give NASCAR taxpayer money, and said there should have been open debate and deliberation followed by a vote.

Borders responded to the criticism by saying the letter was merely "a demonstration of support" for NASCAR and did not commit the city to spending money.

These are the latest complaints about a secretive bidding process that was run by a consortium of business and government leaders.

The two lead groups, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and Central Atlanta Progress, refused to provide documents about the process, contending they were not subject to state open records law.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution filed suit in Fulton County Superior Court. The newspaper won in the fall, but the decision was appealed last month with the outcome pending in the spring.