When the CATS board of directors holds it regular monthly meeting later today, among the items on the agenda will be the election of officers and the contract of embattled CEO Brian Marshall. As reported by Daily Report Monday, board Chairman Jared Loftus is likely to be replaced by Isaiah Marshall, who says he believes he has the support of a majority of the board to be elected chairman. Brian Marshall’s month-to-month contract could also come up today, though Isaiah Marshall—who is no relation to the CEO—says he will push to defer the measure. Among the reasons: Brian Marshall is scheduled later this week to present to a CATS committee his long-awaited plan detailing how the agency will implement the expanded and improved bus service that was promised to voters last spring, when they approved a new 10-year, 10.6-mill property tax dedicated to CATS. That business plan is supposed to be implemented by January, and some board members are getting impatient. “January 2014 is right around the corner, and I would have hoped to have seen a plan before now,” Loftus says. “We want to see a comprehensive plan.” In a report last month, a consulting firm hired by CATS to evaluate the agency suggested replacing Marshall and other top managers with outside experts, at least temporarily. Brian Marshall has been criticized by some community board members for not having a comprehensive business plan and for poor communication with the board. Marshall has defended his performance as CEO, saying many improvements to the system have been achieved under his direction, including reduced wait times and increased safety. —Stephanie Riegel
Editor’s note: This story has been changed since its original publication. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated a consulting firm’s report specificially criticized CATS CEO Brian Marshall. Daily Report regrets the error.
