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CCRPC reports third-quarter FY25 finances turned positive; board discusses revenue diversification and short-term credit option
Summary
Staff reported the commission moved from a year-to-date deficit to about $28,000–$29,000 positive after accounting corrections and higher billable staff time; the board discussed pursuing a short-term line of credit and expanding paid services to municipalities to reduce reliance on variable federal funding.
CCRPC staff told the board May 21 the commission’s financial position improved in the second half of fiscal 2025 and the organization is pursuing short‑term financial safeguards and new revenue strategies.
The update: Forrest (staff member) reported that after a December report showing a roughly $60,000 deficit, the commission was now “positive about $29,000.” He said an accounting error accounted for about $20,000 of the improvement and that stronger staff time billing and expense control had raised revenues and kept expenses below budget. Forrest noted staff time billing for the transportation program was ahead of budget at 76.4% and overall expenses were at about 72.6% of budget.
Contingency and credit: Jeff (board member) said the executive committee directed staff to explore a short‑term credit facility to bridge temporary federal funding interruptions. Forrest confirmed staff have begun shopping for lines of credit to cover a potential quarter of shortfall if federal funds are temporarily delayed.
Revenue diversification and shared services: Charlie (staff member) and others discussed a strategic shift to pursue paid direct services for towns — for example shared zoning administration and planner services — to reduce reliance on a large flow of federal project funds that staff said “is not going to continue and is drying up actively.” The FY26 budget includes a shared zoning administrator for Underhill and St. George; Winooski and Essex Junction were budgeted to buy planning staff time ($25,000 each, $50,000 total) as a pilot. Board members and staff discussed cost recovery, indirect rates, and how to price leased staff; members noted typical consulting markups often add 25–50% above staff pay to cover overhead.
Equity and outreach note: board members raised concerns about representation at a recent housing convening, noting low participation by people of color and recommending more outreach where people already gather. Staff acknowledged the outreach gap and described ongoing targeted engagement with non‑English speaking groups and houseless individuals as part of the ECOS/Act 181 outreach campaign.
Next steps: staff will continue short‑term credit conversations, finalize billing and indirect rate adjustments, pilot shared staffing agreements, and track whether federal funding trends require further operational changes.
