Shelby County commissioners voted Monday, April 11, to follow through on $1.3 million dollar in funding to the Memphis Area Transit Authority the commission added to the county budget about a year ago.

But commissioners said they want to hear more from MATA leaders.

The grant contract with MATA was approved on a 7-3-2 vote.

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Voting yes were Chairman Willie Brooks, Mickell Lowery, Reginald Milton, Brandon Morrison, Tami Sawyer, Van Turner and Michael Whaley.

Voting no were Mark Billingsley, Amber Mills and Mick Wright.

David Bradford and Edmund Ford Jr. abstained.

Commissioner Eddie Jones was not present.

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The contract, sponsored by Morrison, is a grant specifically to fund “MATA’s operating cost and the Transit Vision Plan” — a $35-million long-term plan of creating a transit system starting with eight key routes where there are fewer stops on major thoroughfares and more “frequency” — or buses that come along every 15 minutes or so rather than once a half hour or once an hour.

Morrison’s challenger in the May Republican primary for commission District 4 was in the audience as the commission voted.

Jordan Carpenter has made Morrison’s proposal of the funding during last spring’s budget season an issue in the race — the only contested Republican primary on the May ballot.

He tweeted the vote.

Sawyer said she had reservations despite her yes vote.

“We’re putting money in year after year and we’re even spending a lot of time figuring out how to put more money in,” she said. “But we are not even considered to be part of the oversight body.”

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Some commissioners have pushed for county government appointees or representation on the MATA board which is currently appointees nominated by the Memphis mayor and approved by the Memphis City Council.

Ford urged the commission to “make them accountable.”