MARTA: Service cuts imminent if regional tax doesn't come soon ATLANTA, GA (WABE) - Governor Perdue last month said he wants to give Georgians the chance to vote on a regional transportation tax in 2012.

Since that statement, transportation officials have applauded the governor, but MARTA officials believe the vote needs to come sooner rather than later.

Jonathan Shapiro reports.

The Governor says due to the recession, 2012 is probably the earliest voters would consider a tax hike.

But MARTA chief Beverly Scott says the state can't wait because they're facing a 120 million dollar deficit right now.

SCOTT: 2012 effectively means that we will have to be in slash and burn over here for three years. And on top of that, from a federal standpoint, it will not be good timing for us of being able to show that we have the local support for funding to leverage federal funds.

Last month, the federal government basically passed over Georgia while doling out 8 billion dollars for high speed rail.

Scott blames that on the state's unwillingness to shoulder at least some of the costs for local transit.

She says adopting a regional tax would change that.

City officials say a penny sales tax in metro Atlanta would generate an estimated 7.6 billion dollars over the next 10 years for highway and transit projects.

The governor's office says it's open to the idea of a vote this November but discussions with legislators are still in preliminary stages.

For WABE News, I'm Jonathan Shapiro. © Copyright 2012, WABE