Only three governments in Metro Atlanta support the local rail transit system. While the Atlanta City Council voted to extend the sales tax funding the system, some elected officials would like to put the issue to a public vote.
"The Atlanta City Council voted 12-1...in favor of continuing the city's existing financial commitment to MARTA until 2047. The council was the first to vote; but without an extension from elected officials in at least two of MARTA's three host jurisdictions, the sales taxes dedicated to keeping its buses and trains running will decrease to a half-penny in 2032. Although that date is still 25 years away, the painful consequences of waiting to hold a public vote on the issue would be felt much sooner. Because MARTA depends heavily on bond funding, delays that a referendum would cause would drive up agency's costs of doing business."
"Unless MARTA can count on the revenues the sales taxes generate, it will be more difficult and more expensive to borrow the money needed to expand the system and operate it safely."
Read the full story: A vital vote of urgency
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Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
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