Palmetto
stepped into the MARTA fray and voted Monday night not to extend the
MARTA contract until a more equitable funding solution is found.
Fulton County
Commission Chairman Mike Kenn has grabbed headlines in recent months
Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. Kenn considers the transit company
to be a regional system that is being paid for only by Fulton and DeKalb
taxpayers.
Palmetto
officials agreed with Kenn Monday and passed two resolutions to offer
their support.
The first
resolution calls for denying MARTA's request to extend its contract
to 2050 with the city of Atlanta, Fulton and DeKalb counties.
The resolution
calls for funding to be shared by the state and all local municipalities
in the metropolitan region. Currently, $196 million in Fulton sales
tax is being paid to MARTA.
The main
issue in the second resolution passed concerns restructuring the MARTA
board. Currently, the board contains representatives from areas such
as Clayton County that do not have MARTA and are not paying for maintaining
the system.
Fulton County
and Palmetto officials want the General Assembly next year to limit
the board to only those governments that are paying for the rapid transit
system.
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