Franklin frustrated with Atlanta's debt

ATLANTA - Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin has become so frustrated with the city&#39;s poor debt collection record that she is making personal calls to prod laggards to pay. <br> <br> The city sent out sanitation bills in May, but received payment from only ten percent. That prompted Franklin to pick up the phone. <br> <br> So far, she has reached 11 of the top 25 debtors; she left messages with the others. <br> <br> Franklin says the debtors she called consistently complained that their bills were inaccurate. Thousands of city residents have made similar complaints for several years. <br> <br> Atlanta faces an $82 million shortfall. Since the city began billing and collecting more than three years ago, the city has run up more than $30 million in bad debt. This year alone, Atlanta&#39;s sanitation program is expected to run about ten million dollars in the hole.

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