Worthy s announcement comes a few days after an ethics complaint was filed with MARTA over campaign contributions he accepted from an executive at an engineering consulting firm that has contracts with MARTA. A contribution he got from the spouse of an official at the same company, HNTB, was also brought to his attention by the complaint.
The ethical policy of MARTA restricts vendor gifts to $75.
The ethics complaint has not resulted in any findings of misconduct. However, Worthy stated that he took action to return both contributions, which came to $2,150, in an email to the person who filed it. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was given access to the email.
Worthy’s campaign finance disclosures show that the donations from HNTB are a little part of his overall fundraising. He revealed contributions totaling $70,050.
The architectural and design work for the South DeKalb Transit Hub is one of the several projects on which HNTB has provided MARTA with consulting services. Reports submitted to the state show that MARTA has paid HNTB at least $72.7 million in fees since 2018.
Then-Governor Nathan Deal first appointed Worthy, a Piedmont Healthcare administrator, to the MARTA board in 2016. Gov. Brian Kemp reappointed him. In addition to two state representatives who serve on the board in an ex officio, nonvoting role, the governor has one appointment on the 13-member board.
Kemp has not named a replacement for Worthy, whose term ended last December. According to MARTA’s governing laws, members will continue to serve until a successor is chosen.
Worthy informed the board that he plans to formally file to compete for the Atlanta City Council District 7 seat after submitting his resignation this week. Howard Shook, a longstanding Council member who is not running for a seventh term, is the person Worthy is trying to replace.
According to a Kemp spokesperson, after Worthy submits his resignation, the governor plans to name a successor as soon as possible through a comprehensive yet expeditious process.
Worthy served as MARTA’s chairman in 2022 and is among the board’s longest-serving members. He has been in charge of an ad hoc commission looking into new sources of income for MARTA, which is mostly supported by a sales tax.
He is stepping down from the board during a time of change at the transit agency. Collie Greenwood, its CEO and general manager, retired last month, citing personal and immigration concerns. Additionally, the board appointed Jonathan Hunt, its lawyer, as its acting chief until a permanent replacement could be found on Thursday.
The board will appoint a committee of up to seven individuals to advise Hunt.
