MATA’s interim CEO exits through side door after TransPro presents initial findings

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A “frivolous use of taxpayers funds.” That’s what a transit consulting firm called the $1.3 million spent on design, furniture, and fixtures in MATA’s administrative office in a downtown high-rise.

This was among many more concerns listed in a 117-page report by transit consulting firm TransPro. In August, Mayor Paul Young called on them to do a diagnostic of MATA’s operations.

MATA has claimed flat funding, decreased ridership, and increased costs resulting in a $60 million dollar deficit.

“All this building and stuff. Fixing the tracks and putting up signs. We had no idea this was coming down the line,” trolley operator Sandra Scott said. “It was a shock.”

A shock, because like Scott said, MATA had spent nearly $6 million on the trolleys, according to board meeting minutes WREG Investigators uncovered .

TransPro’s initial findings point out concerns with the trolleys. Despite the money spent, they claim problems mount.

TransPro reports the Federal Transit Administration gave MATA money for trolley improvements, and MATA told the FTA in June “additional capital investments were planned for multiple portions of the existing trolley network.”

Two months later, MATA stated it didn’t even have money to fix brake issues. It halted the trolleys and laid off 18 Trolley Division employees, including Scott.

The move left the trolleys’ future unclear and the future of the modern streetcar project along Madison that MATA already spent $2 million on. Plus, another $800,000 on new rail cars from San Diego and a trip staffers took to inspect them.

TransPro questioned the project’s feasibility and stressed in a council committee meeting Tuesday that MATA is juggling too many costly projects.

“These are pie-in-the-sky projects. Endeavors that should be delayed until you can meet the basic needs of your customers,” TransPro representative John Lewis stated.

He also said they believe there’s misaligned spending priorities happening within MATA. They’re working to find out more through a financial partner they brought in. So far, Lewis said MATA is either unwilling or unable to answer their financial questions.

MATA’s Interim CEO Bacarra Mauldin was also in the meeting.

“No ma’am, I’m not doing interviews right now,” she told us when we tried to ask her some questions.

She then went out an exit the public doesn’t have access to.

We couldn’t ask her about the trolleys, TransPro’s report, or MATA’s administrative offices in One Commerce where over a million was spent on furnishing, fixtures, and design.

TransPro called the space a “frivolous use of taxpayer funds” and claimed the old office that was flooded just needed “some drywall reapplied and finished.” Instead, MATA took on a $267,210 annual lease and then expanded that lease onto another floor for $251,352 annually. MATA officials cited new projects needed more space.

TransPro’s report, however, says there’s a current “abundance of office space” between those two floors.

The consultant’s suggestions include MATA breaking its One Commerce lease, pausing capital investments, and getting basic service back up to par.

In Tuesday’s committee meeting, city leaders agreed they would try to hold off on the staffing and service cuts set to go into effect next month. The mayor’s team says they’re trying to identify a funding source to push that date to February.

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