Boston- Senator Ryan Fattman (R-Webster) joined his colleagues last week in responding to repeated performance failures by the MBTA and partner Keolis Commuter Services. The Senate Republican Caucus filed legislation that will provide several tools for the beleaguered public transportation system to financially stabilize the MBTA and restore public confidence in the system. The bipartisan measure authored by the caucus would create a fiscal recovery trust fund, require the Secretary of Administration and Finance to identify funds to assist the MBTA, and would create a new seven member MBTA finance control board that could ultimately be dissolved in favor of a receiver that would take over the board’s responsibilities as a last resort if sufficient progress hadn’t been made.
“The MBTA reform package is a vital step forward to assure members of the public that we are doing everything we can to prevent any future shortcomings, such as systemic delay and cancelations.” Fattman said.
The responsibilities of the MBTA finance control board/receiver include:
- Securing financial and performance stability of the MBTA;
- Implementing fiscal controls;
- Implementing uniform budget and planning guidelines and procedures for all departments;
- Levying fines on vendors who fail to maintain on-time rates, vehicle cleanliness, fare collections, station maintenance, and staff training;
- Executing capital budgets and borrowing authorizations to finance or refinance any debt;
- Maintaining authority to appoint, remove, supervise, and control all MBTA employees and personnel matters;
- Developing a long range plan for MBTA financial and structural sustainability; and
- Requiring the filing of a quarterly report to the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means detailing how any expended loan funds were used in the past quarter.
“Arctic temperatures and unprecedented snowfall totals has only exasperated the issues currently hampering the MBTA and commuter rail services,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). “This legislation seeks to address the underlining problems that have been going on for years to address the needs of the public in order to create a world-class public transportation system that they deserve.”
MBTA Reforms Offered by the Senate GOP Caucus An Act Relative to the Creation of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Finance Control Board
UPTON DAILY 