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City Hall features abstract art exhibit Creator invites guests to ‘see things differently’ By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — When she paints, Fran Scher says she is an observer. “It’s totally a journey. It’s totally intuitive,” Scher said. “Every stroke informs the next stroke.” Her abstract work, on display at Sandy Springs City Hall, takes on a pastel color palette, indicative of spring, but broken up with dissonant strokes of black. A Sandy Springs resident, Scher has had her paintings showcased
in local Atlanta galleries and in collections around the world. Around 50 people attended the gallery’s opening reception May 3. City Hall’s lobby serves as a rotating art gallery and changes every quarter. Scher’s paintings will hang through the beginning of August. Starting with paint-by-numbers as a child, Scher went on to become an arts education teacher. But she always painted “here and there.” While her kids napped, she would go to the
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AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA
Sandy Springs resident Fran Scher stands next to her abstract paintings on display at Sandy Springs City Hall during the May 3 opening reception. The lobby serves as a rotating art gallery and changes every quarter. Scher’s work will hang through the beginning of August.
Sandy Springs budget proposes 6% employee raises in 2024 By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs has kicked off a series of meetings to discuss its fiscal year 2024 budget, a spending plan that goes into effect July 1. City leaders met for an initial budget workshop May 2, hearing from
department heads and other city staff about funding needs for the coming year. Funding will be partially based on a set of priorities, like public safety and public works, that were adopted at the City Council’s annual retreat in January, officials said. Exact dollar amounts for the 2024 budget are not available yet,
but city leaders have announced several initial priorities that will likely be included in upcoming budget drafts. In 2023, city officials adopted a general fund budget of $136 million. The general fund pays for day-to-day operations of the city, like salaries, light bills and general maintenance. City Manager Eden Freeman,
who presented the bulk of information at the meeting, said plans call for giving all city employees a 6 percent cost of living adjustment in 2024. The city will also absorb an 11 percent increase in health insur ance premiums, rather than passing those costs on to employees, she said.
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