MARTA Overhaul Bill Stalls in Senate, but Some Provisions Not Dead

The original legislation, House Bill 264, includes mandatory privatization of major MARTA functions, changes to how MARTA’s board is appointed, a debt ceiling, and a suspension of a state-imposed spending requirement that says MARTA can use no more than 50 percent of its funds on operations. 

Sen.Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta), an opponent of the bill, was glad to see it held up.

“It’s a bad bill for several reasons,” said Fort. ”It ties the hands of MARTA…The [MARTA] CEO needs the ability to be flexible.”

However, the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-Brookhaven), still believes action is necessary, although he concedes reform efforts have had to narrow in scope. 

“Expect to see the House of Representatives go to the mat on the governance provision and the temporary lift of the 50/50 split (ie. the MARTA spending requirement),” said Jacobs. 

The key, he said, is the governance provision, which would shift MARTA board appointment power from the Democratically-controlled Fulton County Commission to a caucus of Republican mayors in north Fulton.

Changing the way MARTA appoints its board has been a priority of Fulton Republicans for years.

House Majority Whip Ed Lindsey (R-Atlanta) argues since most of Fulton is now incorporated into cities, mayors should have more influence on the MARTA board.

“The governance part is extremely important in order to reflect the realities of present day Fulton county,” said Lindsey.

But MARTA executives and some lawmakers have said it’s unnecessary.

Senator Fort dismissed the governance provision as part of a larger effort by north Fulton Republicans to weaken the Fulton County Commission. He argues north Fulton is fairly represented on the MARTA board.

“The Fulton County Commission represents them too and thus if the Fulton County Commission makes appointments, then those appointments are for all citizens of the county, not just north or south,” said Fort.

Fulton Republicans don’t agree. Rep. Jacobs has attached the governance provision, along with some of the other reform proposals, to Senate Bill 168, which is currently making its way through the legislature.

He’s hopeful Senate Republicans will reconsider.

“Fairly soon I expect on the Senate side that some pressure from the north Fulton mayors will be brought to bear,” said Jacobs. 

Jacobs also suggested the suspension of the 50/50 spending requirement, which MARTA executives want and is included in the new bill, won’t pass if the governance provision stalls.

The clock is ticking for House Republicans. There’s only four legislative days left this session. The bill carrying the MARTA provisions would have to clear the House, then make its way through a conference committee of House and Senate members.