Fri. Feb 14th, 2025

Editorial by Joe B. Kent: Disaster on Wheels — J Ford Canale’s Role in MATA’s Implosion

Editorial on January 13, 2025, By Joe B. Kent

MEMPHIS, TN — In a recent episode of Behind the Headlines (BTH), City Council Chair J. Ford Canale stunned viewers with his candid remarks about the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA). When moderator Eric Barnes described MATA as “a disaster,” Canale responded, “I knew it was bad, but I did not know it was that bad,” and claimed MATA’s financial woes had been “hidden pretty well.” These words, coming from the Council’s former Transportation Chair (2022-2023) and an accounting professional, raise serious concerns about oversight, transparency, and governance in Memphis. Did Canale truly not know—or worse, did he choose not to know?

As the former Transportation Chair, Canale bore direct responsibility for the council’s oversight of MATA. Yet, there’s no evidence he ever demanded financial reports, asked probing questions about operations, or held MATA accountable during his tenure. His inaction is all the more alarming considering the $136 million Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project underway and the $20 million MATA bailout loan approved by the council in late 2023. Canale’s failure to seek financial clarity—despite the glaring red flags—points to either gross negligence or complicity in perpetuating dysfunction.

Moreover, Canale’s current priorities cast further doubt on his leadership. He has thrown his support behind the $800 million “More for Memphis” public-private plan—a proposal to create a new, redundant layer of non-transparent bureaucracy. Meanwhile, he’s been a vocal advocate for a $6 million Audubon Park golf clubhouse, an extravagance out of step with Memphis’s realities as a city in desperate need of infrastructure and social investment—not golf resorts.

What is even more damning is the aftermath of Canale’s tenure. Under his watch as Transportation Chair, MATA squandered $60 million in COVID relief funds, according to findings by TransPro, a transit consulting firm. Mayor Paul Young’s recent decision to replace MATA’s board reflects a public verdict: the system collapsed under Canale’s oversight. His excuses about hidden problems ring hollow in light of his access to MATA’s financials and his accounting background. Did Canale care to know? Or did he simply look the other way?

As if this weren’t enough, public records requests that could provide critical insight into MATA’s financial mismanagement remain unanswered. Does the Council Chair even want to know what went wrong at MATA? Or why public restrooms remain inaccessible at Mud Island? Or why areas of Memphis still flood despite millions spent on stormwater management contracts with AllWorld? These are the kinds of questions Canale has failed to address as a public servant.

The consequences of such neglect ripple far beyond MATA. Memphians face deteriorating public services, crumbling infrastructure, and opaque government dealings. Yet, Canale, the chair of a historic City Council, seems more focused on pet projects and political theater than on delivering meaningful change. His lack of urgency regarding Memphis’s systemic issues—whether it’s transit, stormwater management, or financial accountability—is emblematic of leadership that prioritizes appearances over action.

If Canale is serious about restoring public trust, he must act decisively. He could start by championing a resolution demanding full compliance with public records requests from MATA and urging the state comptroller to provide adequate oversight in Shelby County. The question remains: does Canale have the courage to lead, or will he continue to preside over Memphis’s slow implosion?

Memphis deserves leadership that seeks the truth, demands accountability, and prioritizes the public good. So far, Canale has offered none of these. The coming months will reveal whether he is capable of rising to the occasion—or whether his tenure as council chair will be remembered as just another chapter in Memphis’s ongoing struggle with dysfunction and misplaced priorities.

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