TITLE 32 HIGHWAYS, BRIDGES, AND FERRIES

Section 9. Mass Transportation, 32-9-1 through 32-9-24.

ARTICLE 2 METROPOLITAN ATLANTA RAPID TRANSIT AUTHORITY (MARTA)

32-9-21. (Repealed effective December 1, 2019) Creation of Cobb County Special District for Transit Committee; meetings; contracting; abolishment.

1. There is created a Cobb County Special District for Transit Committee to be composed of the members of the board of commissioners of Cobb County and the members of the House of Representatives and Senate whose respective districts include any portion of Cobb County.
2. The first meeting of the committee shall be called by the chairperson of the board of commissioners. A chairperson of the committee shall be selected by majority vote of the members at the first meeting. The committee shall formulate a map for a proposed special district within Cobb County for the provision of public transportation services and for the construction, maintenance, and operation of transportation projects to and from and within said district by the authority. Such proposed special district shall be known as the Cobb County Special District for Transit. The committee shall be authorized to solicit input from the residents of Cobb County and hold public meetings for use in the development of the map of such proposed district.
3. The committee shall appoint two subcommittees to approve the proposed map, prior to submission of the map to the full committee for final approval. One subcommittee shall be composed of the members of the board of commissioners and the other subcommittee shall be composed of the legislative members. Each subcommittee shall elect a chairperson by majority vote and may adopt rules as deemed necessary. No map shall be brought before the whole committee for consideration until such map has been approved by majority vote of both subcommittees.
4. Upon final approval of the map by a majority vote of the whole committee, the committee shall negotiate terms of a proposed rapid transit contract between the authority and Cobb County on behalf of the special district in consultation with the Atlanta-region Transit Link "ATL" Authority, if such contract is to be entered into after January 1, 2019. Such proposed rapid transit contract shall include the extent of financial participation and the time or times such financial participation may be required with respect to Cobb County in order to finance the provision of a rapid transit system through the joint instrumentality of the authority. The committee may recommend one or both of the following methods for providing such financial participation:
   1. In the manner prescribed by law and subject to the conditions and limitations prescribed by law, Cobb County may issue its general obligation bonds, pay over the proceeds thereof to the authority, and thereby complete and make final the execution of the proposed rapid transit contract anticipated by such bond authorization and issuance and the authority shall agree in such contract to perform specified public transportation services for the Cobb County Special District for Transit and to provide specified construction, maintenance, and operation of transportation projects; or
   2. Cobb County may enter into a rapid transit contract or contracts calling for the authority to perform specified public transportation services for the Cobb County Special District for Transit and to provide specified construction, maintenance, and operation of transportation projects. In such contract or contracts, Cobb County, acting on behalf of the special district, shall make periodic payments to the authority for the public transportation services and facilities contracted for, which payments may include amounts required to defray the periodic principal and interest payments on any obligations issued by the authority for the purpose of financing the cost of any rapid transit project or projects, amounts necessary to establish and maintain reasonable reserves to insure the payment of said debt service and to provide for renewals, extensions, repairs, and improvements and additions to any project or projects, and amounts required to defray any operational deficit which the system or any part thereof may incur from time to time.

      The committee may elect any method provided in this subsection as a recommendation to finance the participation required of Cobb County, in whole or in part, and the election of one method shall not preclude the election of another method with respect thereto or with respect to any additional or supplementary participation determined to be necessary.

5. The committee shall provide to the board of commissioners of Cobb County the recommended map for the special district, which was approved by majority vote of the committee, and a proposed rapid transit contract, no later than December 1, 2019.
6. Any final execution of a rapid transit contract for the Cobb County Special District for Transit shall be completed by the board of commissioners of Cobb County and the authority pursuant to the requirements set forth in Code Section 32-9-22.
7. The committee shall stand abolished and this Code section shall stand repealed by operation of law on December 1, 2019.

(Code 1981, §32-9-21, enacted by Ga. L. 2018, p. 377, § 3-1/HB 930.)