Letter to the Editor

Written by Ed Williams. Ed.D. Chair | Concerned Citizens For Effective Government

Dear Editor:

MARTA RTCAA (Rapid Transit Contract and Assistance Agreement) voted on and approved by the residents of DeKalb and Fulton counties in 1971.  This is the contract which the counties entered into to provide bus and rapid transit services to DeKalb, Fulton, and Clayton counties.  The contract original terms called for the contract to expire on August 31, 2021. The one percent retail sales tax was to be reduced to one-half of a percent after 10 years in 1982.  The retail sales tax was never reduced.   MARTA and the local governments of DeKalb and Fulton counties have voted several times to extend the contract without the legal authority or a referendum.  The 1971 MARTA RTCAA contract has been extended to 2057 without a referendum.

The counties of Cobb and Gwinnett voted in a referendum for the 1964 local amendment to grant the authority for counties to create MARTA, however, more than 50 years later these two counties do not participate in MARTA and do not pay a MARTA sales tax;  and their total local sales tax each respectively are 6 percent.  For more than 47 years, the total local sales tax for DeKalb and Fulton counties who approved the MARTA RTCAA in a 1971 referendum continue to pay a one percent MARTA sales tax; In 2019, the sales taxes for DeKalb 8%, Fulton 7.75%, Clayton 8%, and Atlanta 8.9.

—Ed Williams. Ed.D. Chair

Concerned Citizens For Effective Government

https://www.facebook.com/ccegov/