Transit operators ask Bonner County for gap funding as Sandpoint shortfall threatens service

A regional transit provider briefed the Bonner County Board of Commissioners on a budget shortfall and asked for county help to cover gaps after one municipality, the City of Sandpoint, was reported unable to meet its proportional contribution.

The provider said the system carried about 162,914 rides in 2024 across Bonner and Boundary counties and presented a proposed overall budget of roughly $1.28 million. It told commissioners it faces a near-term endpoint shortfall of about $45,000 tied to Sandpoint and an overall system funding gap the presenter described as about $72,000 if advertising and other match options fall short.

The presentation, delivered by agency staff (identified in the meeting transcript by the first name Donna and by the transit board’s leadership listing), summarized operations, ridership breakdowns, funding sources and options. The speaker said the service runs fixed routes 12 hours a day, seven days a week in Bonner County, operates separate funded accounts for Boundary County and Schweitzer Mountain routes, and provides ADA-compliant paratransit curb-to-curb service. Schweitzer Mountain, the presenter said, provides the full local match for its seasonal mountain route and pays match for capital purchases tied to that route.

Why it matters: County funding would shift some costs from municipal partners to the broader county tax base, a step several…