Local opinion: RTA needs new direction now

and analysis of the writer:

On Monday, the Pima Association of Governments Regional Council will consider in closed session the performance of its executive director, Farhad Moghimi. PAG is a nonprofit corporation that serves as our Metropolitan Planning Organization. Mr. Moghimi is also the Executive Director of the Regional Transportation Authority, a governmental entity responsible for implementing the region’s 2006 transportation plan funded by a half-cent sales tax. These are both difficult jobs with tough mandates.

Unfortunately, Mr. Moghimi has not performed either job well. The RTA has been, in my view, an abject failure primarily because, under Mr. Moghimi’s direction, the RTA has breached state law and its fiduciary duty by not seeking voter approval of an amended plan that realigned projects with substantial recession-related revenue shortfalls. Since 2010, the RTA has struggled to create a facade of success by rescoping, delaying, and cancelling projects, all without mandatory voter approval. The RTA’s implementing statutes specify that the plan must be amended and re-approved at the polls whenever “substantial change” occurs. Surely, a 30%-plus revenue shortfall is substantial, and successful implementation of the original plan was doomed by 2012.

Add to that, Mr. Moghimi instituted a shell game of moving hundreds of millions of dollars in regional funds from PAG to the RTA in an attempt to cover shortfalls, again without voter approval. Those funds could have been used for other projects in the region, and they were never included in the voter-approved original plan. The late Ed Honea, mayor of Marana and longtime Regional Council member, challenged that sleight-of-hand on several occasions and was ignored.

Now, the City of Tucson is admirably proposing to further amend the scope of several RTA projects within the city to constrain costs and help balance the books. These changes are also slated to be discussed Monday by the RTA Board, which is the Regional Council after a hat-swap. Because Mr. Moghimi has shunted the committee review process, the RTA Board is being asked to consider and approve project modifications that have not been vetted by experts on its Technical Management Committee, of which I am a member. That’s an irresponsible request by Mr. Moghimi, who prefers to act unilaterally whenever he can.

The RTA’s sales-tax base expires on June 30, 2026, and extension of funding is crucial to the region. The RTA is proposing a new plan to present to the voters of Pima County this November. That draft plan is in shambles and lacks emphasis of what the region really needs: better road maintenance and expanded public transit. My plea to the Regional Council is simple: Be honest and direct with Mr. Moghimi during his performance review. The best outcome for the region as we seek voter approval of an “RTA Next” plan, is to bring in a new Executive Director who can renew confidence in RTA /PAG and establish the trust necessary for voters to approve RTA Next in November.