Atlanta’s 21-member regional transportatoin roundtable, made up of politicos from around the 12-county region, finalized the Transportation Investment Act project list today that will go before voters next year.

According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the biggest last minute funding “hits” were taken by…

….a planned extension of MARTA’s North rail line to Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell, which got only $37 million, and a proposed commuter rail line linking Atlanta and Griffin, Ga., which got only $20 million. A planned extension of MARTA rail service along the Interstate 85 corridor in Gwinnett County was cut to $95 million.

Though there was talk of cutting back funding for the Clifton Corridor transit line to help fund a rail extension along I-20, the effort never materialized and the project retained it’s $700 million funding level from the draft list.  However, the sole project to receive more money previously – the Midtown to Cobb rail line – was cut to $695 million.  That makes the Clifton Corridor line the single largest project on the list.

Yesterday’s Champion Newspaper reported that the DeKalb County Commission was considering asking the state legislature to place a moratorium on “on annexation and incorporation in DeKalb County to allow an analysis by a committee.”

Commissioner Jeff Rader explained the initiative to the paper saying that recent city incorporations “seem to be formed around a political group” that adds a “tax base that has really nothing to do with their city,”

What would this study committee do?  According to the paper…

The annexation and incorporation study committee would create standards for evaluating incorporations that include criteria for determining reasonable boundaries for the existing or new cities; an analysis of the tax base within the proposed boundaries of the new city and in the remaining unincorporated areas;

In response to the article, Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd tells DM he’s “sorry to see this.”  He continues…

I think it is a reaction by the county to use the State of Georgia to stop or delay the creation of a new city when they can’t prevent it from happening themselves. It is clearly an attempt to prevent the people from having a choice. The creation of any new city requires extensive study into how a new city can be sustained and always results in a significant reduction in services necessary for the county to provide in the area affected.

The idea that people living in an area had no impact or influence on development in the area is as far fetched as contending that they should be unable to decide if they want to be part of a new city, or part of an old one for that matter, simply because it might have some perceived impact on someone not involved. People have a right to choose and that privilege should never be denied to them.

The contention that living in unincorporated Dekalb County offers less taxes is quickly dissolving. Cities by their very nature provide a higher quality of life and a higher level of services than counties. Taxes are much like anything else you buy, if you don’t think you are getting your monies worth they are too high. People who live in cities believe that what they get is worth the cost. Those who don’t live inside a city are beginning to recognize the difference that cities offer.

Hopefully the State will realize that this is an issue they do not need to get involved in.

If you’ve got beer fest tickets, don’t even finish reading this sentence!  Click here for the brewery list and map and start planning your Decatur Beer Fest experience!

The greatest new thing about this year?  The beer stations are organized by REGION instead of DISTRIBUTOR, as has been the case in years past.  This should make for a more pleasant – and less confusing – experience for all.

The only state to get it’s own section at this year’s event?  Colorado.

So, what are people interested in trying this year?  I feel like I’m more “educated” going into it this year than in years past, but there are still many breweries I don’t recognize.  And many of them are in the South!

• Emory Report celebrates 175 years with 1-minute history lessons [Emory Report]
• Mayor Reed gives Occupy Atlanta 5-day grace period to remain in Woodruff Park [AJC]
• Tickets still available for Saturday’s ROOT beer fest! [Little Shop]
• CSD Board Adopts New Nepotism Policy [Patch]
• Augusta downtown revitalization seems to be working [Augusta Chronicle]
• Sydney Rhame on Atlanta Sounds! [WABE]
• Iberian Pig owners opening new “Southern Italian” restaurant in Roswell [Next Stop]
• “Will food get really expensive, driving down consumption and really hurting the world’s poorest people?” [NPR]