TADs Aren't a Diversion of Funds. They're a Return on Investment.
What the numbers actually show, and why Atlanta's kids are at the center of this decision.
Atlanta Public Schools is navigating a difficult moment in time. Significant budget pressures, looming school closures, decisions about what to do with vacant facilities, and mitigating the challenges of student mobility are all things that the City of Atlanta takes very seriously. Mayor Dickens has made stability for Atlanta's families a priority, and for good reason: when kids move schools, outcomes suffer, communities fray, and the city risks losing the families it needs most.
In that context, questions about extending TADs and APS's contributions deserve clear answers. First, it's important to recognize that the numbers are significant: APS has contributed nearly $879 million to Atlanta's TADs since 1999, and extension to 2050 could bring that figure to $4.4 to $6.1 billion. [APS Budget Commission, November 2025]
What makes TADs the right tool right now to meet this moment in Atlanta is their scale and speed. They can finance major capital projects quickly, using the growth a neighborhood generates rather than drawing from existing budgets or raising taxes. For a full explanation of how TADs work, visit Invest Atlanta.
The Westside TAD: A Case Study in the ROI of a TAD for APS
When the Westside TAD was created in 1999, the assessed property value in that area was $271 million [APS Budget Commission]. Today it is $1.4 billion, a 452% increase representing $1.1 billion in new value that would not have existed without the investment the TAD made possible.
Between 1999 and 2025, APS contributed approximately $169.7 million in increment to the Westside TAD. APS negotiated $161.3 million in guaranteed PILOT payments in return. That money has flowed to APS every year, on schedule, by contract. And when the TAD closes, APS inherits the full $1.4 billion tax base it helped build.
APS and the City of Atlanta. A Long-Term Partnership in Defining the Terms.
APS has had a seat at the Invest Atlanta board table all along, including a vote on every project the TADs fund. APS's representative participates in the decisions that shape how TAD dollars are spent. APS has also been at the negotiating table for every intergovernmental agreement, securing real protections for itself along the way.
Non-Participation in Gulch TAD
When the Westside TAD expanded to include the Gulch, APS negotiated its way out. Its PILOT payments are calculated on non-Gulch collections only, keeping full tax revenue from Gulch properties.
APS Budget CommissionAPS Consent Required for New Bonds
No new bonds can be issued for the Eastside TAD without APS consent.
APS Budget CommissionRenegotiation Rights
APS renegotiated Westside TAD terms in 2019 and secured an omnibus IGA in 2022, improving payment structures and adding reporting requirements both times.
APS Budget CommissionAPS has shaped these agreements before and will play a central role in shaping what comes next.
The bottom line
APS does not lose revenue it already had. It contributes a share of new growth that the TAD investment helped create. And in exchange, it receives guaranteed cash payments, a permanently larger tax base, and a city that is actively investing in the neighborhoods where its students live.
That matters because healthy, stable neighborhoods keep families in Atlanta. They reduce the student mobility that disrupts learning and strains school budgets. They rebuild the communities that fill classrooms. When TADs work, schools do not close. They grow.
That is not a diversion of funds. That is a return on investment for APS, for Atlanta's neighborhoods, and for Atlanta's kids.
What we're asking
We are asking our city, county, and school board officials to vote yes on TAD extensions.
We are asking you, our neighbors to help us spread the word. Contact elected officials. Follow us on social media. Use our toolkit and share our content or create your own. The time to end the tale of two cities is now.