Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Other Elected Officials Join Governor
in Signing of Groundbreaking Legislation
Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue on Wednesday signed House Bill 277, a groundbreaking transportation funding bill, into law with the support of Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and a host of other elected officials and community leaders.
This bill establishes 12 special tax regions within the state of Georgia based on existing regional commission boundaries. Counties may not opt out of or switch regions. A new “Regional Transportation Roundtable” established in each regional commission is comprised of local mayors and county officials who will select the potential transportation projects. The “roundtable” of local mayors and county officials will then negotiate with Georgia’s Department of Transportation to ensure that the projects are feasible.
Each region will have the opportunity to hold a referendum, in which the citizens will vote on whether to approve or reject the project list and impose a one-cent sales tax within the region to fund the projects for 10 years. All of the funds will stay within the region where they were collected. H.B. 277 is effective as of January 1, 2011, but the sales tax won’t become effective until after a July 2012 referendum.
Gov. Perdue, Lt. Gov. Cagle and House Speaker Ralston all praised Mayor Reed’s efforts in helping to pass H.B. 277, especially during the final days of the Legislative session. Cagle quipped that when he appointed Reed, then a state senator representing District 35, to the Senate Transportation Committee, he had no idea that he would play such an important role in the passage of legislation --- as Mayor of Atlanta.
“House Bill 277 is a significant first step toward addressing Atlanta’s traffic congestion challenges,” said Mayor Reed. “It strengthens MARTA and if approved by the voters, will represent the most significant investment in transportation in the history of the state.”
Speaker Ralston and Lt. Gov. Cagle will appoint a five-member Citizens Review Panel who will be charged with overseeing the governance and administration of the projects.
# # #
For more information about this and services of the City of Atlanta visit our website at
www.atlantaga.gov or watch City Channel 26