www.GoodMorningGwinnett.com Thompson’s vote changed because the transit expansion plan on this year’s ballot changed, from a proposal voters decisively rejected in a 2019 special election.
“This new referendum is actually completely different than last time,” Thompson said. “They heard [voters’] concerns and they made changes.”
One of the biggest changes has to do with control.
The 2019 plan, known as Connect Gwinnett, would have led to the county joining the MARTA system. Under the current proposal, Gwinnett County would maintain control of its own transit system. MARTA would be part of the project only through a single heavy rail extension from Doraville to Jimmy Carter Boulevard.
The $12.1 billion expansion would be paid for through a penny sales tax collected under the new Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority — not MARTA, as would have been the case in 2019. Sales tax dollars will pay for three quarters of the cost.
www.AJC.com
