Senate passes MARTA funding bills - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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The bill, which passed 39-9, would lift a currenr restriction in state law that limits MARTA to spendinb no more than 55 percen t of its sales taxes on operating The rest of the money has to go towarxcapital costs. The formula mandating that spligt between operating and capital spending has been around sincethe system’s inceptionb and has “outlived its said Sen. Doug Stoner, the bill’s chief sponsor. “It was designed for an era that nolonge exists,” he said. MARTA officials are lookingy for ways to expandthe system’sw operating funds to help cover a projectedd $60 million to $70 millioj shortfall.
Stoner said his legislatioh would aid that cause while stayintwithin MARTA’s existing Also Tuesday, senators voted 43-4 in favor of a seconcd bill that would allow MARTA to sell food and drinksa at its stations. The proposalo could generate several millio n dollarsa year, MARTA General Manager and CEO Beverlty Scott said last week. Both bills now go the