Will Gwinnett County join MARTA? Not likely, officials say (Atlanta: property taxes, legally)

[Atlanta Scientist]

I personally don't care if Gwinnett or Cobb join MARTA. The state should provide proportional funding to every transit system and set up some kind of commuter rail. Let Cobb and Gwinnett figure how best to tie into MARTA if that's what they want. I'm more concerned about MARTA expanding and serving the citizens of its core city.

[primaltech]

After way too much thought and research on this, when it comes to the question of whether Cobb and Gwinnett should join MARTA, put me firmly down for "Partial".

Thank you to Fourthwarden for posting the MARTA Act, with the 1988 amendments especially. After reading it, I see that cwkimbro is absolutely right, in that the rules are way more flexible than I thought. About the only hard rule is that MARTA can only operate within the 5 counties, but there's nothing that says that Cobb and Gwinnett counties have to entirely join in county-wide referenda, in order to receive MARTA service. Within the 5 counties area, any type of local municipality (including CID's) can join MARTA with a passed majority referendum within its borders. And also, I believe, if I am reading it right, that any type of local municipality can enter into a service contract with MARTA to get bus service (not rail) that would not require a referendum.

Then I look at this:
https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/porta...mprovementDist

...and realize just how large these CID's are. And how many there are.

In Cobb, let the Cumberland CID and the South Cobb CID (if that exists- I couldn't find proof) hold a local-only referendum to join MARTA permanently and pay the 1% retail sales tax within their borders. That would allow them to get some kind of rail and fixed transit, as well as a MARTA ART bus route on Cumberland Pkwy. And each of the districts would get one voting representative on the MARTA board.

Then later on, if those pass, you've got adjacent municipalities like the City of Smyrna and the City of Marietta (both of which border Cumberland, and down the road maybe even the Town Center CID. Those could all eventually vote in a local referendum to join MARTA (or decline to join). This has the HUGE advantage of leaving East Cobb and West Cobb and the conservative areas of the county, totally out of it. It focuses on the areas that would most want MARTA, and also most use MARTA.

Similar deal in Gwinnett. Let the City of Peachtree Corners, and the Gwinnett Village CID (which is actually a HUGE area, and includes all or most of the city of Norcross) hold a referendum on joining MARTA at a 1% tax rate. And again, each of them would get a MARTA board representative each, if they join. And they'd get high quality MARTA bus service (7 days a week), and a modest heavy rail extension of the Gold line.

Then a couple years later, should those areas join, let adjacent areas like the Lilburn CID and the Gwinnett Place CID join. And the 'Evermore' CID (I didn't even know existed), which is basically the 78 corridor.

Then, should the Gwinnett Place area opt in permanently for MARTA, then let the Sugarloaf CID vote on it, which is adjacent.

I like this idea because it avoids the 'all or none'. And because it avoids letting the rural and conservative areas of those 2 counties dictate the wishes of the innermost and urban-most parts.

And it could really round out the MARTA service area.

If Cumberland joined MARTA, then besides a section of wealthy and mostly-quiet part of Vinings (that wouldn't get bus service anyway) and a section of Atlanta Rd corridor (which could have a contract for service or whatever), all of ITP would be served by MARTA. As it should be.

Let both sides win this argument. MARTA in Cobb and Gwinnett (and funded by them), but the counties also not joining.

And meanwhile, we can keep MARTA the same. Local representation controlled, and no strategic rebranding or any of that.

[cwkimbro]

Primal,

In Georgia a CID is not considered a local governing authority. That would be the city or county. The act from that entity gives the CID it's own administrative body that lets it be in control of its own funds only collected by its self taxed property tax, but the governing authority remains the city/county government, which is elected by the citizens that live there.

Now a CID is allowed to spend its funds on public transportation, but only the collected funds by the CID. They have no governing authority to hold a referendum or act like a city or a county. This usually amounts to circulator shuttles that connects business in their boundaries.

The buc in buckhead is the best example I can think of.

To further complicate this... any partial area of a county, which would have to be a city, that holds a referendum on MARTA will cause complications on negotiations between them and the county over how revenue is divided up. As they will have 1% less available in that municipality to put towards SPLOSTs and they usually includes a negotiated division for county services (ie. schools and roads). So that city might still be on the hook for raising additional funds.

[primaltech]

Alright, well, then there need to be some changes to the MARTA Act, by the legislature. As well as changes to the rules of taxation in general. Changes that would allow more flexibility for MARTA to permanently operate in designated key parts of Cobb and Gwinnett, without a county-wide full referendum in those counties. I think self-taxing CID's would be a good fit.

CID's need to be able to deal with sales tax in addition to property tax. And/or MARTA needs to be able to be funded by property tax in addition to sales tax.

Or whatever. Any of the other solutions. Just something.

Because you can't make Cobb and Gwinnett change. At least not soon enough, and we need to get regional transit going soon.

[Need4Camaro]

Dear Santa. For the 20th year I've asked you this... For Christmas... I want to ride a MARTA train from Buford to Five Points.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by cwkimbro

Now a CID is allowed to spend its funds on public transportation, but only the collected funds by the CID. They have no governing authority to hold a referendum or act like a city or a county. This usually amounts to circulator shuttles that connects business in their boundaries.

The buc in buckhead is the best example I can think of.

The Perimeter also has several shuttles supporting the rail stations, although I'm not sure whether they are funded directly by the CIDs or through a partnership or some other mechanism.

Shuttles | Perimeter Connects

[J2rescue]

Originally Posted by Columbia Scientist

I personally don't care if Gwinnett or Cobb join MARTA. The state should provide proportional funding to every transit system and set up some kind of commuter rail. Let Cobb and Gwinnett figure how best to tie into MARTA if that's what they want. I'm more concerned about MARTA expanding and serving the citizens of its core city.

I agree completely. I've long been of the opinion that some sort of commuter rail outside of Marta's existing footprint is the best option. Land use is the factor that rarely gets discussed on the topic of transit and the core of the metro is most likely to develop in a way that's conducive to transit.

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by arjay57

The Perimeter also has several shuttles supporting the rail stations, although I'm not sure whether they are funded directly by the CIDs or through a partnership or some other mechanism.

Shuttles | Perimeter Connects

Those are not provided by MARTA, though.

What we're talking about is the possibility of more official MARTA bus service (and maybe rail service) in Cobb and Gwinnett, without those counties becoming full members.

[fourthwarden]

From the Metro Atlanta Speaks Survey put on by the ARC:

• Gwinnett Rated Transportation as the single Biggest Problem for Metro Atlanta with 26.6% of responses over other issues
  
• Gwinnett respondents overwhelmingly think Public Transit is important to the Region with 74.6% saying it's Very Important and 21.1% saying it's Somewhat Important
  
• Gwinnett decided that Expanding Public Transit is the best long-term solution to traffic over other options with 45.2%
  
• Gwinnett actually had THE HIGHEST agreeance to the statement of "I am willing to pay more in taxes to fund expanded regional public transit that includes buses and rail" with 56.3% of responses

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

From the Metro Atlanta Speaks Survey put on by the ARC:

• Gwinnett Rated Transportation as the single Biggest Problem for Metro Atlanta with 26.6% of responses over other issues
  
• Gwinnett respondents overwhelmingly think Public Transit is important to the Region with 74.6% saying it's Very Important and 21.1% saying it's Somewhat Important
  
• Gwinnett decided that Expanding Public Transit is the best long-term solution to traffic over other options with 45.2%
  
• Gwinnett actually had THE HIGHEST agreeance to the statement of "I am willing to pay more in taxes to fund expanded regional public transit that includes buses and rail" with 56.3% of responses

And I'm one of those Gwinnetter's to concur!