Community Improvement Districts - Council for Quality Growth

During the past 30 years, Community Improvement Districts have emerged as significant centers of influence in the metro Atlanta region. By utilizing self-imposed tax revenues from commercial businesses within their districts, they are dramatically changing their communities in many ways. The Council is proud to count most of the metro Atlanta region’s CIDs as part of our membership.

The advent of Community Improvement Districts more than 30 years ago unfurled an engine of growth and development that has come to represent more than $1.5 billion in taxes levied, producing more than $5 billion in infrastructure investments, new parks and greenspace, public safety, traffic mitigation projects, and landscape improvements.

Not only are CIDs powerful drivers of economic development, but they are also valuable in strengthening the unique character of each metro Atlanta area. By allowing a CID to invest in the projects that the community and local government prioritizes, the developments reflect the values and personality of each area, serving as a counterpoint to “one size fits all” development and growth strategies; they maintain a sense of place.

This self-investment has positioned Atlanta’s 31-and-counting CIDs to receive locally-raised tax dollars, but also grants and matching funds from state and federal agencies that see community support as a beacon of opportunity for investment in smart growth. Through successful leveraging, CIDs procure significantly larger pools of funding to support development initiatives.

View CID map with legend

Annual CID Recognition

The Council for Quality Growth hosts an annual CID Recognition event to celebrate the Community Improvement Districts’ work to connect the metro region. CID leaders, stakeholders, elected officials, Council members and more attend this annual event. It is at this event that we recognize outstanding leaders in our community with the John Williams CID Leadership Award and the CID Professional Excellence Award.

John Williams CID Leadership Award
The John Williams CID Leadership Award recognizes volunteers who have played an instrumental role in championing CIDs around the metro Atlanta region through their vision, leadership, and dedication. Previous award recipients include Governor Roy Barnes, Senator Johnny Isakson, Tad Leithead, Kerry Armstrong, Bob Voyles, Mason Zimmerman, David Allman, John Shern, and Natalie Tyler-Martin. Read more about the award history here.

CID Professional Excellence Award
The CID Professional Excellence Award is given annually to a CID Executive Director, staff member, or contractor recognizing an individual’s commitment to professional excellence through leadership in successfully investing in critical transportation infrastructure and quality of life improvement projects to enhance the district’s economic vitality. Recipients of this award include Gerald McDowell, Ann Hanlon, Emory Morsberger, and Jim Durrett.