No binding vote on transit for Clayton County ATLANTA, GA. (WABE) - September 2 is the deadline for Clayton County to put a binding vote on transit on the ballot in November. Transit advocates say it's not likely to happen. Instead, Clayton County residents may vote on a nonbinding referendum to authorize a penny sales tax to pay for transit. But it's unclear what will come of the vote, even if residents vote yes.

At the beginning of the summer, it looked like new transit service could begin in Clayton County as early as January. That's because the state legislature had passed a bill allowing residents there to vote on taxing themselves to pay for transit.

Now as summer comes to a close, Clayton County's chance for transit appears to be slipping away. So what's happened?

Here's Lee Biola, head of Citizens for Progressive Transit, an advocacy group.

"The Clayton County Commission has refused to put it on the ballot," he said.

Biola, a lawyer, said the legislation stipulates that a binding vote needs to take place during a general election before Nov. 1, 2012.

"Allowing this deadline to pass means there's no other time the vote can take place," he said.

The county lost its bus service in March because of budget problems. C-Tran, as it was known, cost the county $8 million each year. When it ceased to operate, it stranded about 8,500 riders.

Some advocates say the five-member Commission has ignored the county's transportation problem. Jerome Dukes is pastor of Community Fellowship Christian Center International in Riverdale. He and other clergy have been monitoring the transit issue.

"This is not something that came out of nowhere," he said. "They just have not been planning for this. They have not discussed it or they have not wanted to discuss it."

State Rep. Roberta Abdul-Salaam sponsored the bill in the Georgia General Assembly that would have allowed Clayton County to join MARTA. She had urged the County Commission to put the resolution on the November ballot.

In an interview Tuesday, Abdul-Salaam said she's concerned about what this turn of events says to the county's residents.

"I'm disappointed to the extent that the needs and concerns of the citizens have not been heeded and given the due diligence they deserve," she said.

Calls to Eldrin Bell, chairman of the board of commissioners, were not returned by airtime. The commission's next meeting will take place on Sept. 7, after Thursday's deadline.

For WABE news, I'm Jeanne Bonner.
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