Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation might shut down

• Joeff Davis/CL File
• John Sherman, Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation president

If there's an issue involving public cash in Atlanta, you can rest assured that the Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation has probably weighed in with an opinion.

The Atlanta Beltline? The Buckhead-based nonprofit has fought the $2.8 billion project in court and criticized the city for pursuing the Beltline's transit component. The Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal? John Sherman, the foundation's president, called for the indictments of APS higher-ups. And the 1-percent sales tax for transportation that voters shot down last year? The FCTF helped fan the flames of the opposition. In addition, the group offered assistance to residents appealing their property taxes.

Now it appears the foundation is at risk of shutting down - possibly even before the end of the year - thanks to a drastic drop in contributions. So says Atlanta Progressive News:

"We hope to find a way to keep going. I'm not sure where the numbers are. I'm not sure if it's good. I'm not sure if it's bad," Phil Kent, a Board Member of the Foundation and a commentator on the Georgia Gang television program, told APN.

Executive Director Barbara Payne and Christopher Eichler, who was the other remaining office staff member, were both let go last week due to lack of funds, John Sherman, President of the Board of Directors, told APN.

Sherman said that like all non-profit organizations, the Foundation has been grappling with the problem of dwindling contributions in recent months.

In recent weeks, the Foundation brought on an auditor, Justin Wiedeman, a Certified Public Accountant, to get a better handle on the Foundation's overall financial picture.

These financial problems were exacerbated by the death earlier this year of Ron Bell, a Board Member who had been a substantial donor to the Foundation. In addition, Mr. Sherman has been struggling with some personal health challenges.