GOP barely opposes transit referendum

In a resolution lastmonth, Gwinnett County Republicans urged residents to vote against a transit referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot.

But the decision to wade into the transit debate was a contentious one, and the resolution was passed with only 17 votes at a sparsely attended special meeting called for that purpose.

Just 34 people came to the Sept. 22meeting, with15 voting against proposal. Edward Muldrow, chair of the county’s Republican party, said there are nearly 200 paid members, but only 10% are needed for a voting quorum. He said any paid member can call a special meeting.

While the statement is titled “Resolution Against MARTA E xpan s ion, ” Muldrow said it was misleading for voters. “Let’s be clear,” he said. “This isn’t a MARTA referendum. This is a transportationreferendum in which MARTA will play a small part.”

If the referendum is approved next month, it will greatly expand Gwinnett’s

transit system, adding four bus rapid transit lines and seven bus routes alongmajor corridors. Itwill add local bus service and expand paratransit availability, aswell ashours for transit services. And it will extend MARTA heavy rail from the Doraville transit station to Jimmy Carter Boulevard.

CharlotteNash, theRepublicanchairmanof theCounty Commission, championed the planafter voters rejected a 2019 proposal that would have allowed the county systemto joinMARTA. All three Republican commissioncandidatesopposethenewplan, while the Democratic candidates all support it.

Muldrow said he thought this transit referendum looked “a lot different” than the one that failed last year. PatQuigley, who voted against the resolution, said he though it was “a really dumb idea” for the party to take a position on the referendum. “They didn’t really think it through, I don’t think,” Quigley said. “If thewhole body had been involved, that would not be the decision, I’m quite confifident.”