APN, FCTF issue Joint Statement on MARTA CEO Selections Process
September 13, 2012
JOINT STATEMENT BY JOHN SHERMAN, PRESIDENT OF FULTON COUNTY TAXPAYERS FOUNDATION (FCTF); AND MATTHEW CHARLES CARDINALE, PRESIDENT OF ATLANTA PROGRESSIVE NEWS (APN)
Out of our mutual concerns for transparency, accountability, and public input on behalf of the citizens and taxpayers of Fulton and DeKalb Counties, the Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation and Atlanta Progressive News have issued the following joint statement to put the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) on notice that a closed door selections process for a new MARTA CEO is undemocratic, unconscionable, and unacceptable.
“For MARTA to select a general manager without public discussion is contrary to good governance principles. MARTA is a public institution, funded by Fulton and Dekalb county taxpayers, and has been funded by them for the past 30 years,” John Sherman, President of FCTF, said.
“There are many public service groups in Fulton and Dekalb Counties which are prepared to review the qualifications of proposed candidates for a MARTA general manager, and will work closely with the C.E.O to make the final decision,” Sherman said.
“These are dire times for MARTA, which makes the selection of a new CEO a high stakes decision for the taxpayers, the workers, and most importantly, the riders, who share well-founded concerns about the future of fares, routes, and even the existence of public restrooms at MARTA stations. Therefore, all MARTA CEO candidates should be interviewed publicly, in duly noticed and pre-advertised open meetings; all stakeholders should have the opportunity to develop questions and to present them publicly to all CEO candidates for response,” Matthew Charles Cardinale, President of APN, said.
For more information, contact John Sherman, President of FCTF (404) 233-2997; Barbara Payne, Executive Director of FCTF (404) 587-5146; or Matthew Charles Cardinale, President of APN (404) 983-6049. FCTF is a member of the Transportation Equity Coalition, which is holding a press conference today at 10am at MARTA Headquarters. APN is an independent online news service in its seventh year of publication that combines news, advocacy, and litigation to foster ethics and transparency in state and local government.
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