MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Big changes are coming at the Memphis Area Transit Authority as the MATA board accepted an eight-month contract Wednesday with consulting firm Transpro. Current MATA Interim CEO Bacarra Mauldin will be replaced by Transpro CEO John Lewis. MATA’s proposed interim CEO would make $486 an hour The MATA board says it's taking steps to try and improve the embattled bus system in Memphis after years of erosion. "This is a crisis management contract," said board member Emily Greer. "They are here to deal with the crisis situation that we are in, and they are out and they will be governed by this board, and we have made that perfectly clear and the mayor has made that perfectly clear." MATA is millions of dollars in the hole, leading to outdated equipment and missed routes. Transpro has already issued a harsh report on MATA, finding a "frivolous use of taxpayers dollars."  MATA spent millions on new office, furniture, Grizzlies suite, more But the decision to bring someone else in didn't sit well with the more than a dozen bus operators who attended the meeting. Jerry Oden, who has been with MATA seven years, says she's concerned about pay cuts for drivers, saying, ultimately, it will hurt riders too. "Very disappointed," Oden said. "From the standpoint of the board, they're new. They're being rushed." A MATA board member told us during this eight months, Mauldin will return to her previous position as deputy CEO. She left the meeting before we were able to ask her for a comment on the situation. Board members acknowledged Mauldin has been dealt an impossible hand and needs more resources.  "Chief Mauldin deserves an opportunity to be evaluated on the grounds of running a stabilized operation and to get there, I think third party resources could be helpful, but ultimately I think the evaluation should be done when the grounds are stabilized," said board member Brandon Arrindell. A cost breakdown of MATA's contract with Transpro from a previous meeting lists Lewis’ labor at $486 an hour. When added with oversight and other executives’ labor, the total cost is more than $1 million. City Council approves new MATA board Lat October, Mayor Paul Young replaced the entire MATA board with new members.