The City of Atlanta's independent audit of the company reveals a mix of strong and weak points in how the finances have been handled over the years. According to the City of Atlanta's official website, the audit, conducted by Mauldin & Jenkins, assessed the fiscal responsibility and operational procedures of the transit expansion initiative from its start up to mid-2023. The results highlighted that the program is entitled to an estimated $70 million after recalculating cost allocations from fiscal year 2017 through fiscal year 2022, based on MARTA's existing cost allocation methodology.
The More MARTA Atlanta program was established after the 2016 referendum to enhance public transportation in Atlanta. The audit detailed instances where funds for capital programs were shifted to balance operational spending and vice versa. The report also indicated that, in fiscal years 2021 and 2022, spending on the program's enhanced bus service fell significantly short of the budgeted projections.
Notably, all parties involved have taken the audit's findings seriously. The city's statement referenced a collaborative discussion between Mayor Dickens, MARTA’s CEO, their respective CFOs, and attorneys to chart a path forward in light of the audit's recommendations. The City of Atlanta has expressed agreement with all ten recommendations proposed by the auditors.
These critical findings and the collaborative response from city officials and MARTA's management have been made transparent, with the audit shared with MARTA’s board and the Atlanta City Council. Residents and interested parties can view the full audit report by visiting a link on the City of Atlanta's official website.
