A plan to increase the money Benton County gives for public transportation may save some rural bus service in the county, said Joel Gardner, executive director of Ozark Regional Transit.
Justices of the peace agreed during a budget meeting Thursday to guarantee the $15,000 it gives the bus service yearly and to match any supplemental money from small cities up to $64,000, Gardner said.
By The Numbers
Ozark Regional Transit
Ozark Regional Transit will have about $1.7 million in local match money available in 2015, according to the 2015 budget. Total expenses are expected to be about $3.3 million next year, but much of that is covered federal, state and local funding. The 2014 budget ended up being over by about $30,000, but the amount is covered by federal and state revenue.
Source: Staff Report
The move may spare transit services that were rolled out as part of a pilot program this year to prove a need for public transportation. If the county decides against funding, Ozark Regional Transit may cut some rural services, said Mike Lanier, a transit board member from Madison County.
"There will probably be a lot of upset people wanting to know why we can't run the route up there and pick them up," Lanier said.
Transit board members are waiting to hear from government groups about money to pay for the bus system, Gardner said. Board members discussed balancing out the 2014 budget and looked over preliminary 2015 budget figures during a committee meeting Wednesday morning.
The new budget is expected to be about the same as 2014's, Lanier and Gardner said.
The transit's budgets are expected to be approved Dec. 18 during a regular board meeting.
Lanier said he had no problems with either bus budget, but pointed out Ozark Regional Transit cannot afford to continue services started up last year to show justices of the peace there is a need for public transportation.
The new proposal, which still must go to the Quorum Court, could mean about $128,000 for the transportation system, Gardner said. The deal doesn't include supplements from Bella Vista, Bentonville, Siloam Springs or Rogers.
That means if Centerton paid $5,000, the county would also pay $5,000, said Tom Allen, chairman of Benton County's Finance Committee. There is no sunset or deadline on the deal, which means a city can decide to fund and get the county to match funding throughout next year, Gardner said.
"It's going to be some work, but it's going to be well worth it," he said.
Gardner said he already has meetings set up with officials from small Benton County cities.
Board members worried Benton County wouldn't increase its funding because the area has other needs, including road equipment, Lanier said. But that would have meant fewer rural services, he and Gardner said.
Bus service representatives considered hiring more drivers to run rural routes, but if more money doesn't come in, those drivers will be reassigned instead of filling new positions, Lanier said.
Even without Benton County, Ozark Regional Transit plans to continue improving, Gardner said.
Next year's budget includes adding services, including installing a digital radio system to improve communication among staff and to provide wireless internet service on buses.
Gardner talked earlier this year about adding a trolley route in Bentonville, but those plans depend on Bentonville's funding, Gardner said. City officials have not yet indicated whether they plan to pay more for a downtown trolley route, he said.
NW News on 12/05/2014