Atlanta’s complex commuter-verse requires multiple transportation methods to operate. MARTA is a major column in this mansion. Findings from a recent audit of the money MARTA raised from a 2016 half-penny Atlanta sales tax increase are drawing attention to apparent waste and dysfunction.
Anyone that believes that MARTA is vital should start acting so. That starts with the agency itself.
Sara Gregory , The Atlanta-Journal Constitution’s transportation reporter, wrote a thorough rundown of what Mauldin & Jenkins, an auditing firm hired by the city, found in an audit. The report showed that MARTA has overcharged Atlanta taxpayers by $70 million. MARTA and some other state and local politicians have disputed the findings, though MARTA previously admitted to $9.9 million overcharge that it will repay. They say Mauldin & Jenkins used an improper calculator and that the firm gave the agency very little time to dispute the results before publishing them.
Concerns with MARTA have risen in recent years, as the Atlanta City Council has challenged the agency’s stewardship of the windfall of sales tax money. Some have contended that the percentage spent on current operations is far too high, leaving inadequate funds to work on the future advancements promised to voters.