Governor Nathan Deal and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed have campaigned together to build support for July’s transportation referendum. However, a new proposal threatens to damage the alliance.
Atlanta leaders are unhappy with the current plan to unify metro Atlanta’s various transit systems. They say the new regional transit council would shift too much control from Atlanta to the state.
According to the new proposal, the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, or GRTA, would create a 35-member council made up mostly of local elected officials. The council would be charged with managing metro Atlanta’s regional transit system.
However, the GRTA board would remain mostly state-appointed, and it would have veto power over the new transit council.
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed says he can’t support a bill that cedes so much control to the state.
“I’m concerned with the lack of involvement of local elected officials from the jurisdictions that are governed,” said Reed.
Meanwhile, MARTA, as has been the case since its inception, is required to spend 50 percent of its revenue on capital projects and 50 percent on operations. It’s the only major transit agency in the country with such a requirement.
The bill would free MARTA from that restriction in exchange for giving up much of its autonomy to the new transit council.
MARTA chief Beverly Scott says more budget flexibility is vital for the sustainability of MARTA, but it has no business in the bill.
“On its own merit, the 50/50 has nothing to do with governance. On its own merit, it needs to be removed,” said Scott.
Mayor Reed went further and said attaching the 50/50 rule stood in the face of months of cooperation between local and state leaders.
“I don’t believe that these issues should be coupled. I don’t think that’s the right spirit.” said Reed. “I don’t think you start the conversation with what is, in my mind, an aggressive act.”
Reed says if these issues go unresolved, it could seriously threaten the success of July’s T-SPLOST referendum.
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