Clayton County to vote in July on joining MARTA

By Jeanne Bonner

Clayton County, Ga. – Gov. Sonny Perdue signed House Bill 1446, clearing the way for Clayton County residents to vote on a transit tax. The county lost its transit service, C-Tran, in March. The non-binding referendum on July 20 will be the first step toward restoring transit there. Jeanne Bonner reports.

The Clayton County Commission has the final say on whether the county will begin collecting a one-cent sales tax for transit. But if residents vote yes in July, it will give the commissioners the clearest indication that they support transit.

State Rep. Roberta Abdul-Salaam represents Clayton County. She said the tax would collect more than $40 million a year.

"We will tell voters if the reason transit in Clayton County was stopped was lack of money, then here is a way fund the system three or four times over," she said.

Abdul-Salaam, who sponsored the bill, said the vote also poses another question.

"The vote asks, do we want to become a full participant in the MARTA system?"

MARTA, which serves Fulton and Dekalb counties, had operated C-Tran until budget problems forced suspension of the service.

MARTA CEO Beverly Scott said many polls show metro residents support transit.

"When you ask the public, whether or not they will support additional taxation for quality transportation including transit, the results have been very favorable," Scott said.

Abdul-Salaam said since C-Tran stopped, she can see how sorely Clayton County needs transit.

"I'm seeing old ladies with walking canes, carrying bags of groceries down the road in the rain," Abdul-Salaam said.

If the initiative passes in July, MARTA's board will have to approve the change. Abdul-Salaam and others have started a grass-roots effort to educate residents about the vote.

For WABE news, I'm Jeanne Bonner.