ATLANTA — The results of an audit long in the making regarding the financial state of the More MARTA program in Atlanta were released by the city on Monday, with the transit agency disputing the findings.
According to a city release, the audit showed that More MARTA Atlanta is owed roughly $70 million -- under calculations that MARTA, in a statement, flatly called "wrong."
The audit was agreed to between MARTA and city leadership in early 2023, amid questions about how the money from a 2016 half-penny sales tax increase in the city of Atlanta -- to fund MARTA system expansions within the city -- is being spent.
The planning of projects and where More MARTA money is going became a contentious issue, with the transit agency presenting a revised project priority list for the money and some city leaders questioning its scope.
The audit was performed by the firm Mauldin & Jenkins, and "included evaluating and assessing fiscal, operational and managerial activity related to the program from inception through June 30, 2023," the city release said.
"Among the key findings, the audit team conducted costs allocation calculations for the More MARTA Atlanta program for FY17 through FY22, following MARTA’s current Operational Programs cost allocation methodology and concluded the More MARTA Atlanta is due roughly $70 million," the release said.
MARTA, however, disputed this. A statement from the transit agency's senior director of communications, Stephany Fisher, stated:
Mauldin & Jenkins’ calculations are wrong. They used a flawed methodology by applying a COVID-based formula to reverse engineer what they believe should have been charged for bus service in 2017, 2018 and 2019, resulting in false calculations. MARTA charged for the cost of actual bus service during those years and the City officials then in charge were aware of the costs, as the minutes of monthly meetings prove.
MARTA informed the City and Mauldin & Jenkins of their flawed methodology and is disappointed that our responses to the audit which were provided to both parties were not included or referenced. Despite these errors, MARTA will continue to work in good faith with the City to improve the IGA and strengthen the overall success of the More MARTA Atlanta Program.
You can see the audit and MARTA's responses below:
More MARTA audit
MARTA response
This is a developing story. 11Alive is still working to go through the audit. Check back often for new information.
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