Metro Board votes to extend Catoe's contract

The Metro Board voted 5 to 1 to approve Catoe's extension during a meeting Thursday.

The only member who voted against Catoe's contract extension was D.C. City Administrator Neil Albert.

"Current challenges demand more aggressive leadership, but the Board has spoken," Albert said in a written statement.

Catoe's new contract begins Jan. 30, 2010. His annual salary of $315,000 will remain the same.

Metro Board Chairman and D.C. Councilmember Jim Graham (Ward 1) voiced his support for Catoe.

"This is a time, in my opinion, to reassure our stakeholders and our riders with continued stable leadership. John Catoe, in my opinion, is a critical element in Metro finding the solutions to the problems that we are now facing. We need his steady hand at the wheel," Graham says.

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