MATA leader says she didn’t know about agency’s shaky finances

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Leaders with Memphis Area Transit Authority went back before the city council Tuesday regarding staff and service cuts.

But also in the discussion were issues raised by WREG Investigators about how taxpayer money is being spent by the transit agency.

“Media, I want to say thanks to you all, because some of the things we were trying to find out – y’all brought it out,” said Councilman Edmund Ford Sr.

Ford didn’t specify what was brought out, but there have been several discoveries made by the WREG investigators in an effort to understand how MATA is facing a $60 million deficit.

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“Over that last 10 years, MATA has had an unrestricted net deficit in every single year,” said Hamish Davidson, MATA’s external auditor, to council members.

The WREG investigators revealed how MATA purchased a box suite for Memphis Grizzlies games, millions on furniture and equipment for a new office in a downtown skyscraper, along with much more — discoveries that were made after going through board meeting minutes.

More recently, your News Leader found contracts the MATA board approved over the last three-and-a-half years that resulted in at least $6 million in contracts granted for the now-halted trolley system.

That brings us to where we are, with MATA crew members also seeing their jobs come to halt;     173 positions are already eliminated, or set to be.

“No one knew and saw this coming for 10 years? No one? It’s unbelievable. Unacceptable,” said Council member Yolanda Cooper-Sutton.

Talks about that suite at the FedExForum were brought up again, during Tuesday’s meeting. Council reminded MATA leaders that it is the workers and riders who are having to pay the ultimate price.

Bacarra Mauldin, still the interim CEO, stands behind her efforts to be transparent with the troubled transit system.

“We did not know,” she said. “I sat two offices down from my predecessor, and I did not know.”

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