ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) -
It's been four days since a KPMG audit of MARTA came out.
CBS Atlanta has tried to speak with MARTA General Manager and CEO Beverly Scott about its findings for days, but she still will not talk about possible changes the transit system may look at in light of the review. Spokesman Lyle Harris explained why.
"Dr. Scott and other members of MARTA's Executive Management Team can, and will respond to all questions from the media, the public and our customers about the draft KPMG report at the appropriate time," Harris said. "Since the KPMG report is still in draft form, our board and staff will thoroughly review its findings before making any comments about any specific recommendations that have been offered for our consideration."
The audit shows that by 2018, MARTA could exhaust its reserves.
MARTA voluntarily agreed to the audit, which showed the transit system is spending about $50 million more on employee benefits than the national average. MARTA also spent $11 million last year because of employee absenteeism.
The report suggests utilizing more bus ads and sponsored transit stops as a way of making more money. It also suggests privatizing custodial work, which it projects could save MARTA between $29 million and $50 million in the next five years.
Emory law professor Alex Volokh said privatization may be a good idea for MARTA.
"Where this would be problematic is if the way they save costs is by skimping on quality," Volokh said. "The government really has to be intelligent about choosing a good operator and really monitoring and penalizing if necessary."
Volokh said privatization could also mean loss of jobs for public union employees.
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