There is new leadership at the MBTA, as Gov. Charlie Baker’s new fiscal management control board officially took over authority of the T.
Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack laid out the mission for the the new five-member board at their first meeting, saying the panel is not there to just cut spending and deal with the finances.
“This group is designed to do exactly what the legislation charges you with doing, with is to secure the fiscal, operation and managerial stability of the MBTA,” Pollack said.
And the board has a lot of work ahead of it. Besides preparing for another possibly harsh winter, the T must deal with budget deficits, mismanaged spending, potential fare increases in 2017 and an aging workforce.
According to one report, 45 percent of the MBTA’s workforce will be eligible for retirement over the next five years.
Baker pushed for the establishment of the control board after this past winter’s storms caused unprecedented failures on the T. The Legislature signed off on the added authority in this year’s state budget.
