AATA I continued from page 9 L total fun...

AATA

continued from page 9 L total funds thus placed in question equalled about $4.7 million.

When asked about it, Mayor James E. Stephenson said he was aware of the problem. "They've got their choice of either forgetting the suit of forgetting their contract," he said. Stephenson added that he believed the city would be willing to relinquish its portion of the suit and come to a formal agreement with the AATA about handling millage monies provided the issue of the S200,000 is dropped. In other words, if you don't pay us S200,000 we're going to put you out of business.

There is little the AATA can do about dropping the issue and quietly paying the $200,000. They would like to, but the League of Women Voters aren't going to let it slip by that easily.

In view of the City's move, though, the LWV filed a motion on May 20, asking that the judge please hurry up and decide the matter on the basis of information now available to the court. The City seems to be going along with this and a settlement is expected to be reached within the next few weeks, hopefully in time for the AATA to get their Federal grant. But the big question is, What will the City try next? Ann Arbor is on the verge of having one of the best mass transit systems in the country. Yet it may never get off the drawing board due to this city's incredible financial irresponsibility.

--Michael Cheeseman