The beginning of summer is often dominated by holidays and vacations, but July 1 marks an important day for local and state governments. A new fiscal year began that day and with it came new budgets for the state of Georgia, the city of Atlanta, the Beltline, Atlanta Public Schools, and more. Here’s a quick roundup of what took effect at the beginning of the month.

Georgia’s budget is good for law enforcement, bad for higher ed

Spending was flat in Gov. Brian Kemp’s most recent budget. The $32.4 billion bill represents a 7% uptick from the 2023 budget of $30.2 billion. Kemp’s budget includes a $2,000 pay raise for state employees and a $500 cost-of-living increase for retirees. 

That pay increase was doubled for law enforcement officers, who got a $4,000 raise on July 1. An extra $1.5 million is earmarked for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to increase its forensic science staff and $2.7 million for the cold case unit.

K-12 teachers got a $2,000 pay raise, increasing the average teacher salary in Georgia to $61,000. There was also a $1,000 supplement for school custodians. However, higher education got cut by $87 million from public colleges and universities, including a $66 million slash to the University System of Georgia’s funds.

Highlights of Atlanta’s biggest-ever budget

Mayor Andre Dickens’ proposed 2024 City of Atlanta general fund budget made headlines for its hefty $790 million price tag—the largest in city history.

Dickens proclaimed this the Year of the Youth and allocated $2.5 million for summer youth employment, $1.8 million for Atlanta’s At-Promise Youth Centers, and $2 million for Parks and Rec youth programming. 

Other notable budget bumps:

—Atlanta’s first-ever labor department officially launched with the new fiscal year on July 1, with $500,000 allocated for staff salaries. The mayor will hire two additional employees for the new department,…