Business owners, activists call for financial relief from Atlanta leaders amid water crisis [Video]

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A group of small business owners and community activists are demanding financial relief from city leaders amid a water crisis in Atlanta.

The group presented their plan to establish the Atlanta Small Business Water Crisis Relief Fund in front of the Atlanta City Council on Monday.

Devin Barrington-Ward, with the Black Futurists Group, said the proposed emergency ordinance would consist of an initial budget of $5 million to help businesses with little or no water after recent water main breaks disrupted service for thousands of people.

“Every time you speak to them, they’re saying the same thing, I lost tens of thousands of dollars in revenue,” Barrington-Ward said about those impacted business owners. “That’s unacceptable because that’s going to impact people’s bottom line, their ability to make payroll, rent and the other overhead costs associated with operating a business in the City of Atlanta, …