Leaders of the state’s legislative delegations in the 10-county metro Atlanta area know July’s regional transportation referendum will come down to the wire. And their leader knows that whatever the outcome, the regional group is likely to be called on for help.
They’ve heard from their constituents why the 10-year penny tax would mean the world for their counties’ transportation needs, and they’ve heard why the tax would be an unnecessary burden to cash-strapped residents just digging out of the recession.
Still, most of the 10 are dedicated to keeping the “train on the track,” as they’ve taken to calling the transportation referendum process that will decide the tax to pay for $6.14 billion in regional transportation projects.
Ultimately, Rep. Howard Mosby, who leads the group officially known as the Metro Atlanta Delegation Chairman’s Alliance, would like the caucus to be the destination group for state leaders looking to pitch ideas and even propose legislation on issues facing the metro area such as water, transportation and education. Georgia’s water wars was the issue that brought the group together two years ago.
To get to that level, people have to see that it’s important, said Mosby, who also heads the DeKalb delegation. “We can develop local policies for the region, and that will happen over time. If we’re not working together, we’re shooting ourselves in the foot.”
This session, the group has been meeting to discuss the transportation referendum and all its tangentially moving parts, including the project list, some type of transportation governance strategy and ongoing challenges to the plan.
Membership in the group is by default: If you’re a delegation chairman in metro Atlanta, you’re a member, and the Atlanta Regional Commission and the Atlanta Regional Chamber of Commerce are invited to participate.
The group is the first of its kind among regional legislative officials, according to Mosby. A similar effort in 2002 to caucus all the metro area delegation members failed when the meetings evolved into a DeKalb and Fulton county delegation meeting.
“We’re learning how to do what local governments have done all along: work together,” said Rep. Kathy Ashe, chairwoman of the Fulton County delegation.
The group has served as a good liaison for the Metro Atlanta Chamber to provide transportation information to their delegations, said chamber transportation vice president Dave Williams, noting the 102 General Assembly members that represent part of the 10-county area.
The group members walk a thin line on the transportation referendum issue, with many of them supporting the penny tax, but are tied to representing constituents that don’t want it ... or vice versa.
They’ve taken no official group vote yet on the referendum, or what their role leading up to July will be; that decision could come later. But they are talking about what needs to happen to get more of their constituents on board and give the referendum at least a fighting chance at the polls.
Mosby is shopping around to his colleagues an urging resolution for the counties to work on some type of balanced growth solutions.
“We’ve got to get something to make [the transportation referendum] a little easier to swallow for some of the counties where we know there are concerns about the project list and the benefits to residents,” he said.
Convincing members such as Rep. Roberta Abdul-Salaam of Clayton County, who said transportation needs in that county are at a “crisis point” and called the referendum Clayton’s “only hope,” won’t be difficult.
But for members such as Rep. Ed Setzler, Cobb’s delegation chairman, urging may not be enough. He filed a bill this month that would delay the referendum for two years while constitutional issues with the legislation are worked out, and would allow counties to opt in or out of the referendum in 2014. Many of the caucus members at a recent meeting said their delegations didn’t want to delay the process.
“My thing was we have a group of people who have never worked together, so getting us comfortable to be able to talk openly and frankly has been my No. 1 job,” Mosby said. “I can guarantee that hadn’t happened before.”
Metro Atlanta Delegation Chairman’s Alliance members
• Cherokee: Rep. Sean Jerguson, R-Woodstock
• Clayton: Rep. Roberta Abdul-Salaam, D-Riverdale
• Cobb: Rep. Ed Setzler, R-Acworth
• DeKalb: Rep. Howard Mosby, D-Atlanta, chairman
• Douglas: Rep. Bill Hembree, R-Winston
• Fayette: Rep. Virgil Fludd, D-Tyrone
• Fulton: Rep. Kathy Ashe, D-Atlanta
• Gwinnett: Rep. Tom Rice, R-Norcross
• Henry: Sen. Emanuel Jones, D-Decatur
• Rockdale: Rep. Pam Stephenson, D-Atlanta
How it formed
• June 2010: Gov. Sonny Perdue signs Transportation Investment Act.
• April 2011: 10 metro counties submit $29 billion in projects to the Atlanta Regional Commission for consideration.
• June 2011: State turns over $23 billion project wish list to executive roundtable for adjustments.
• August 2011: Executive roundtable approves $6.14 billion draft project list.
• Oct. 6, 2011: Regional roundtable modifies project list, scales back regional rail plan.
• Oct. 13, 2011: Regional roundtable approves final project list for referendum.
• July 2012: Transportation Investment Act referendum.
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