In its fifth year, The INTERSECTION is a place where public policy and private investment meet to discuss metro Atlanta’s critical issues, hear best practices, and stay educated on topics as they relate to metro Atlanta’s ability to grow and prosper. In 2025, we’ll look at our region’s greatest challenge and most critical concern: Funding. Specifically, funding much-needed local infrastructure projects that will strengthen our communities and prepare us for our region’s continued growth. The INTERSECTION 2025 will feature a 2 part program with 17 different speakers and 8 unique pieces of content exploring the challenges and presenting solutions to one of our region’s most critical issues.

LEARN MORE & REGISTER

The costs:

Council for Quality Growth Members is $115
Non-members rate is $135
Governmental rate is $60

PART I: The Future of Public Financing

The elephant in the room on the topic of funding is uncertainty from the federal level. Infrastructure projects across the nation are in limbo over lost or delayed funding. With the new administration and the looming cloud of economic downturn, the uncertainty is bringing projects in our own backyard to a standstill. At the local and regional level, we are watching, and we are waiting to see who’s impacted next.

Part I will provide a broad, national perspective on infrastructure needs and funding challenges. Our keynote speaker will address how to navigate the uncertainty, what can be expected in the coming months, and what strategies can be adopted to keep moving infrastructure projects forward. A panel of local Mayors will talk about their specific barriers to making progress in their communities, revealing that communities of different demographics, geographies, and economics share common roadblocks to moving infrastructure projects forward. A short data-based presentation will show local reliance on SPLOST as a source of income for infrastructure investment.

PART II: Empowering Local Governments

Having more than one source of income is just good practice. Being resilient and innovative in uncertain times is crucial to the long-term success of our communities. How can the 86 local governments in our metro Atlanta region diversify and unlock new resources? How do local governments outside of Georgia fund infrastructure projects when SPLOST isn’t an option? What methods are being taken to ensure voter approval when it is needed? Is there something that works better than we need to be lobbying for in our own legislature, or are we taking SPLOST for granted?

Part II will explore alternate strategies, ideas, and methods to fund infrastructure projects. Panelists will specifically showcase what funding mechanisms are being used in places where the typical SPLOST option isn’t allowed by the state’s legislature. There are other large metropolitan areas making transformational investment in infrastructure, and this content will see how they compare to what we are used to here in Atlanta. Keynote speaker from Rocket Companies will talk about what he accomplished at the state level to generate foundational investment in infrastructure for local communities in Michigan, his take on sales tax as the most straightforward method for funding public projects, and the ongoing fight for local options taking place in other states.

PART III: Focus on Atlanta

If last November taught us anything, it’s that SPLOST funding isn’t ever promised. Despite countless examples of SPLOST-funded successes across metro Atlanta, the trend is on the decline. SPLOST efforts are falling short of voter approval from all sides of our region. And the ones that do pass are passing by slimmer margins will each renewal. What happens when a existing SPLOST doesn’t get its renewal? What happens when a new SPLOST doesn’t pass? Are local governments weighing other options? What efforts are being made to better appeal to voters?

Part III brings this conversation back to our local landscape for funding. A panel of County Chairs will discuss a response to their own SPLOST programs, both successes and failures, the size/scope of existing SPLOST programs, project prioritization, and alternate approaches. A case study will discuss a new business model of offering “infrastructure as a service” through long-term institutional investment. The concluding keynote discuss forward-looking innovation in infrastructure that explores ways to maximize resources and make foundational investments that solve urban problems.