The ATL: new regional transit system (Atlanta: racism, expenses, build)

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by primaltech

We have a bill:

SB*386*2017-2018 Regular Session

I finally went through the whole thing and tried to parse down the 16 pages as best I could, so here's that:


Section 1

Appears to authorize the use of sales tax for transit as defined later in the bill.

Section 2

48-8-269.40.

Lots of definitions. Interesting among these is that a Regional Transit System Participant applies to special districts, and not just entire counties. Specifically this definition allows for services between such districts without worrying about in-between area. I misunderstood this concept.

Also, that this defines the commission by 50-32-56, which says initial membership shall be:

• The Governor (serving as the chairperson)
• The commissioner of transportation (GDOT)
• The CEO of MARTA
• The mayor of the City of Atlanta
• The president of the Atlanta City Council
• The chairperson of the Clayton & Fulton County Board of Commissioners
• The chief executive officer of DeKalb County
• A mayor from Fulton, Clayton, and DeKalb selected by a majority vote of a caucus of the mayors from municipalities within, but excluding the City of Atlanta

Any county that approves a sales tax will be required to join the commission, with their own commissioner and mayor. A quorum is a majority of board members.

48-8-269.41.

Speaking of, here is the explicit allowing of sales tax increases within the special districts rather than mandating the counties. This website seems to have them all included, though I was having trouble finding any other kind of comprehensive list.

I have personal reservations about the implementation of districts within the core metro area, but on a wider scale, for example to historic, rail-centered downtowns in suburban and exurban counties, this may be the only realistic option.

So, I misread this. This is just creating special districts out of the counties for the purpose of transit service. There does not appear to be any piece-meal transit districts. Whole-counties only.

48-8-269.42.

So, this section outlines the preparation before a referendum. No later then May 31st of the referendum year, there's to be a notice issued. At that point a list of projects will be generated by the commission, rather than by MARTA or the county looking to levy the tax, and must be "located wholly or partially within" the county. The idea is that the commission will have a wider view of the overall area needs, I guess... Within 45 days (July 15th), the list is to be delivered to the mayors and commissioners of the county looking to expand transit, and MARTA.

The mayors and commissioners and MARTA are to then discuss the project list, and prioritize projects. If a project prioritization can be agreed upon, then an intergovernment agreement may be entered into between the county and MARTA before any tax is collected or the referendum held. If that's done, then as soon as any existing contracts with other transit providers expire, MARTA takes over everything. Otherwise the area can use another service provider. This is interesting because it forces the counties to hear MARTA's case from day one, no matter what.

If the county and all qualified municipalities enter into both an intergovernmental agreement with MARTA and a transportation services contract, the rate of the tax shall be 1 percent. If an intergovernmental agreement is not entered into by the county and all qualified municipalities, the rate of the tax shall be 0.75 percent. If MARTA (or anyone else for that matter) renigs on its service contract, no tax is collected.
"As soon as practicable" after the contract and agreement are... agreed upon, a referendum will be held, requiring only a majority vote of those in the area(s) being served.

48-8-269.43.

The Ballot question would be "Shall a special ___ percent sales and use tax be imposed in the special district consisting of _______County for transit projects?"

Additionally, if debt is to be taken, then this will follow "If imposition of the tax is approved by the voters, such vote shall also constitute approval of the issuance of general obligation debt of ___________ in the principal amount of $___________ for the above purpose."
If the vote doesn't pass, it can be tried again, and again, and again.

48-8-269.44.

The tax takes effect at the start of the next calendar quarter more than 80 days after the referendum.

When / if the debt is paid off, or if it is cancled, the tax ends the next calendar quarter. If the commisioner determines the projects are complete, the tad ends that calendar quarter.
The tax can be renewed just as it was started in the first place.

48-8-269.45.

Taxes are collected by the county, and go to state tax obligations first.

48-8-269.46.

Sales tax returns for individuals are a thing that exist.

48-8-269.47.

1% of the collected sales tax for transit will go to the state to cover admin costs. I guess for the board proceedings.

48-8-269.48.

County taxes aren't used for state or federal budget balancing.

48-8-269.49.

Fuel and car sales don't apply to transit taxes. Other exemptions apply as per law.

48-8-269.50.

A sales tax credit for purchasing property where the tax was already paid to another jurisdiction within, or outside the state.

48-8-269.51.

No tax on property physically outside the taxing area.

48-8-269.52.

The commissioner can manage tax collection as needed.

48-8-269.53.

Transit tax is in addition to other sales taxes.

48-8-269.54.

Transit sales tax can only be spent on the transit projects agreed upon. Debt can only be issued if the tax revenue will be able to pay it off.

Excess transit sales taxes after paying for projects collected go to paying off general debt, then to the general fund.

Section 3

Adds definitions to the GRTA section of the Georgia Code

Section 4

Removes a board of directors appointing an executive committee for GRTA.

Section 5

50-32-56.

Sets up the Atlanta-Region Transit Link (ATL) Commission to oversee transit planning in the metro.

50-32-57.

Sets up the commission as I stated at the start.

50-32-58.

The commission shall maintain a regional transit plan, updating it annually from input from metro planning groups and jurisdictions in its service area.

Such plan shall include, but not be limited to, transit projects based upon a region-wide approach to, the establishment of multi-modal stations within the jurisdiction of the authority, expansion of existing transit systems, the coordination of schedules and methods of payment for transit service providers, and the creation of a unified brand to encompass all transit service providers within the jurisdiction of the authority.

50-32-59.

The commission can receive and distribute federal funds.

The commission can hire consultants.

50-32-59.1.

The commission shall set aside a special fund for its administrative operations, and represents the authority officially.

Section 6

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.

[cqholt]

State Rep. Pat Gardner (D-Atlanta) is among the legislators who’s heard from House Transportation Committee Chair Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville) about his drafts. She presented a draft map to her her fellow Atlanta lawmakers that shows how district lines might be drawn for a new regional transit agency.

“Many of the uncertainties lie in what happens with additional funds that are created,” she said. “How do Gwinnett and Cobb fit into this new system; and particularly for MARTA, what happens with new money that may come from our county or that may come from some statewide taxes?”

Some of the ideas for raising money are taxes on Uber, Lyft and airport concessions.

Gardner said it’s her understanding that sales money collected in MARTA’s existing jurisdictions — Atlanta, Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton — would still be spent in those jurisdictions. Millar also said that he believes that’s the intent.

I do not like the district boundaries already. Atlanta-in-DeKalb is lumped in with Henry County. I know my communities transit concerns do not align with SW DeKalb or Henry Co.

They should have let GRTA do what it was intended to do

If more regionally integrated transit sounds familiar, that might be because it’s pretty much what then-Gov. Roy Barnes was trying to do by building out GRTA, according to state Sen. Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta.)

https://saportareport.com/emerging-d...ampaign=buffer

[primaltech]

What in the heck? I'm confused.

I guess this must be something to do with the house bill? Beach's senate bill just uses the counties. There's no new districts.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

What in the heck? I'm confused.

I guess this must be something to do with the house bill? Beach's senate bill just uses the counties. There's no new districts.

Gerrymandering is what this is.

[primaltech]

I think maybe the idea (I'm guessing), is that potential new state funding needs to be a separate thing from counties, and operators, and local funding levels. Probably for the purposes or appearance of fairness. You can't just have the state hand Gwinnett County a huge chunk of capital money for their rail project, when Fulton and DeKalb never got anything like that.

For example, District 01 up there is west Gwinnett, northeast Fulton, and eastern Forsyth. The state would say, 'okay, this district gets this amount of state money for transit projects', and that's irrespective of what transit operators or sales taxes are in what parts of that district.

Just my guess.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Gerrymandering is what this is.

That was my first thought too. That map looks like a textbook example of packing and cracking.

[fieldm]

Originally Posted by cqholt

I do not like the district boundaries already. Atlanta-in-DeKalb is lumped in with Henry County. I know my communities transit concerns do not align with SW DeKalb or Henry Co.

They should have let GRTA do what it was intended to do

https://saportareport.com/emerging-d...ampaign=buffer

This map might be the dumbest thing I have seen on here. She just trying to slow this bill down.

[primaltech]

If in the worst case it’s some kind of devious way to keep transit out of East Cobb, then at least for me luckily I would be in the South Cobb/ SW Atlanta/ South Fulton/ Douglas County district.

For some reason though, I don’t think this is nefarious. But I guess we’ll see.

[fieldm]

Originally Posted by primaltech

If in the worst case it’s some kind of devious way to keep transit out of East Cobb, then at least for me luckily I would be in the South Cobb/ SW Atlanta/ South Fulton/ Douglas County district.

For some reason though, I don’t think this is nefarious. But I guess we’ll see.

It is. There is no reason to split it up when its already split up county wise.

[primaltech]

Maybe this is saying that a district can join MARTA. As opposed to a county.

Which would explain why it splits out largely African-American, South Cobb and South Gwinnett from the rest of their counties.