How about Fayette residnets paying MARTA tax?

By DAVE HAMRICK
dhamrick@thecitizennews.com

Fulton County’s commission chairman, Mike Kenn, wants residents in outlying counties like Fayette to help pay for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.

Fayette commission Chairman Harold Bost said he is totally opposed to the idea. “I would not go along with that for a minute,” he said.

“Forty-four percent of the ridership comes from counties other than Fulton or DeKalb,” said Michael Harris, Kenn’s press secretary. “Yet only two counties are paying for it,” he added.
“That made perfect sense back in 1972 [when MARTA was created], but it’s been about 30 years and the funding mechanism hasn’t changed,” he said.

Kenn was out of town and unavailable for comment, but addressed his concerns in a column in the county’s newsletter. “The current funding mechanism for MARTA is unfair and antiquated,” said Kenn.

The problem, said Harris, is that Fulton’s sales tax revenue is used solely to fund MARTA, while outlying counties are able to use their sales tax revenues for local needs. “It’s taking $196 million from Fulton County this year [fiscal 2000],” said Harris.

He said Kenn is keen on spreading the cost of MARTA so Fulton can use some of those sales tax dollars for its own needs.

In the newsletter column, Kenn said he is appealing to Gov. Roy Barnes for help. “I have personally told Gov. Barnes that I will not sign the MARTA contract extension (for another 25 years) unless this issue is addressed,” he said.

Harris said Kenn is not overly concerned with the specifics. “We’re open to solutions,” he said.

One possibility is for each county to donate a percentage of its sales tax receipts to MARTA, he said, and another is direct funding from state revenues.

In either case, said Fayette’s Bost, he is opposed. “If they want the people to pay for it who are going to ride it, then increase the fares,” he said. “That way the people who are using it will pay for it. But to have everybody pay for it is not right.”

“The bottom line,” said Harris, “is that if MARTA is going to continue to expand and grow, there needs to be more of a funding base. Fulton and DeKalb bought the airline, and now everybody else wants to have a couple of seats.”