Capital Area Transit System CEO Bob Mirabito and CATS board chairwoman Donna Collins-Lewis are defending the performance of Mirabito and the agency in the face of criticism from Metro Councilwoman C. Denise Marcelle, who is calling for Mirabito to resign.
In a statement issued this morning from the CATS office, Collins-Lewis—who also sits on the Metro Council—says she stands firmly behind the CEO, whom the board hired in 2013 after months of controversy, bungled leadership and allegations of criminal activity involving now former board members.
“We are committed to making sure our riders remain the focus of all that we do as an agency,” Collins-Lewis says in the statement. “Bob Mirabito has shown us through the improvements made over the past year that he has that same commitment.”
It is unclear precisely what Marcelle’s grievances are with Mirabito, though she has never been a particular advocate of his. Marcelle was a supporter of Mirabito’s embattled predecessor, Brian Marshall. When Marshall resigned in 2013, Marcelle was quoted as saying it would be “a loss for the city.”
More recently, Marcelle has accused Mirabito of “poor leadership” and has said he has no transit experience and a lack of respect for public officials. She has called a press conference for later today to discuss the matter, at which she will be joined by CATS drivers who are represented by the Amalgamated Transit Union.
A week ago, some union drivers protested outside the main bus station on Florida Boulevard, claiming some buses are unsafe and portions of their contracts have not been fulfilled.
In Thursday morning’s statement, Mirabito says all contractual obligations have been followed as internal changes have begun to be implemented to further improve the system.
“CATS has been making tremendous progress over the past year, and now is not the time to derail that progress,” Mirabito says in the statement. “CATS has strengthened its offerings externally and now has turned its attention to improving internal protocols. It’s time for us to focus on continuing improvements that work toward the betterment of all our community.”
—Stephanie Riegel
