Waupaca council approves narrower taxi-hour cuts for 2025, directs RFP for 2026 service

The Waupaca City Council on July 15 voted to shorten some shared-ride taxi service hours for the remainder of 2025 and authorized staff to issue a request for proposals for 2026 service instead of renewing the current contract with Brown Cab Services.

The action followed a public hearing in which more than 30 residents — including people who said they rely on the taxi for medical appointments, work shifts and wheelchair-accessible trips — urged the council not to cut the service. Finance director Stephanie Reif told the council the city’s local subsidy for the program “exceeded $116,000 in 2024,” and that ongoing reductions in federal and state assistance, falling ridership and rising operating costs have left the transit fund at risk.

Why it matters: The taxi program provides low-cost, wheelchair-accessible rides to many older and disabled residents and to Veterans Home visitors; council and staff said the program’s budget gap cannot be sustained without changes. Council members and staff framed the RFP as an effort to find a more financially sustainable vendor or model for 2026 while preserving transportation options.

What the council approved - Service-hour change (motion approved, with amendments): the council adopted an amended schedule for the shared-ride taxi for Aug. 1–Dec. 31, 2025. The final motion (as amended during debate) set Sunday service at 8:00 a.m.–3:45 p.m., Saturday 7:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m., and Monday–Friday service (as amended) to run beginning 6:30 a.m.; council discussion extended the evening window during debate and the final approved Monday–Friday span is 6:30 a.m.–10:00 p.m. (The reduction measures were calculated to reduce the transit fund deficit; staff estimated about $20,000 of savings for the remainder of 2025 from the hour changes.) - RFP instead of contract renewal (motion approved, unanimous): council voted to not renew the existing Brown Cab Services contract for 2026 and to initiate a request for proposals seeking more cost-effective and sustainable transit options. The city and staff said Brown Cab is eligible to bid in an open RFP process.

Public comment and concerns Residents and nonprofit providers described the taxi as essential for errands, appointments and safe rides home. The Rev. Julia Hendricks of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church said the taxi “is a vital need for Waupaca,” describing meal deliveries for homebound residents and transportation to medical care. Nolan Sewald, a resident who uses the service, told council “Waupaca taxi is the only service that I know of in this city that actually has wheelchair accessibility.” Other speakers urged alternatives to cutting hours, such as higher fares, county partnerships or increased targeted subsidies.

Staff and vendor remarks Stephanie Reif (finance director) and Brown Cab representative Justin Running participated in the discussion. Reif described the funding picture, telling the council the program’s local subsidy “exceeded $116,000 in 2024” and that the city had previously relied on ARPA and other relief that has expired. Running, who identified himself as Brown Cab’s local operator, explained operational limits for vendors and audit rules: “We’re only allowed to bill you up to 15 minutes past the scheduled end time,” he told council, noting the city sets service windows and fares and the contractor supplies hourly-cost proposals.

Alternatives discussed City officials and vendors said other options could reduce the shortfall: raising fares, changing fare tiers for different rider groups, pursuing countywide coordination, recruiting additional private or nonprofit partners, or reworking the contract’s structure in an open RFP. Reif and other staff also pointed to the Waupaca County transportation options and the county Aging & Disability Resource Center as auxiliary resources; the county program’s phone number was listed during the meeting (715-258-6279).

Votes at a glance - Motion: Adopt reduced shared-ride taxi hours for Aug. 1–Dec. 31, 2025 (final approved schedule after amendment). Motion by Paul Hagen; second by Eric Olsen. Outcome: approved (6–4). Recorded roll call (ayes/noes): Paul Mayo (aye); Corey Nagel (no); Henry Velacher (no); Eric Halverson (no); Dave Peterson (aye); Colin Dykstra (aye); Dimitri Martin (no); Paul Hagen (aye); Eric Olsen (aye); Scott Perchatsky (aye). - Motion: Do not renew Brown Cab contract; initiate RFP for 2026 shared-ride taxi service. Motion by Eric Olsen; second by Henry Velacher. Outcome: approved, unanimous (10–0). Recorded roll call (ayes): Dave Peterson; Paul Hagen; Colin Dykstra; Scott Perchatsky; Eric Halverson; Henry Velacher; Dimitri Martin; Paul Mayo; Eric Olsen; Corey Nagel. - Other council votes taken later on the agenda included routine approvals (liquor/operator licenses, a conditional-use permit and an appointment) and were carried by the council with standard roll calls (those items are recorded in the official minutes and agenda packet).

What’s next Staff will post an RFP for a 2026 transit provider; the council directed staff to pursue county coordination and to return with additional budget detail. Staff said the hour changes will become effective Aug. 1, 2025, and the RFP process is for service beginning in 2026. Council members asked staff to provide more detailed ride-by-ride data and a clearer accounting of who uses the reduced hours so future decisions can be targeted.

Community context and numbers (clarifying details cited in the meeting) - 2024 local subsidy for taxi: more than $116,000 (Reif). The city’s levied budget line for the program had been $10,000 (staff said that figure is not covering current costs). - Ridership trend cited by staff: average one-way trips per day dropped from about 131 in 2022 to about 112 in 2024. - Cost pressures: staff said operating costs rose roughly 45% since 2018; the taxi fund balance of about $75,500 in 2024 was depleted and staff estimated a larger multi‑month deficit (staff cited a projected deficit figure of roughly $135,000 for the program under current assumptions). - Estimated short-term savings from the adopted hour changes: approx. $20,000 for the remainder of 2025 (staff estimate).

The council’s action narrows the immediate cutback proposed by staff, keeps a route for future competitive procurement, and asks staff to return with more granular data and county collaboration as they seek a financially sustainable model for local shared-ride transit.