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Fargo transit staff propose moving drivers in-house; project shows near-term savings and potential service changes
Summary
Transit Director Julie Baumelman proposed converting contracted drivers to City of Fargo employees, projecting about $500,000 in 2026 budget savings and up to $2 million later; staff also recommended route and service adjustments, possible fare changes and noted a new state allocation worth roughly $425,000 to Fargo.
Julie Baumelman, Transit Director, told the Fargo City Commission that transit staff propose bringing contracted bus drivers into City of Fargo employment to gain operational efficiencies and reduce costs.
“We are looking here at apples to apples…we are projecting as far as the impact to the 2026 budget, there would be about a $500,000 savings,” Baumelman said.
The proposal would convert a contractor model to a city payroll comprising approximately 75 drivers, 16-year drivers (senior drivers with training duties), four road supervisors, one HR generalist and six part-time temporary positions. Baumelman said the payroll and benefit projections used city HR assumptions for single and family plan participation and included built-in overtime.
Benefits of the conversion cited by staff include eliminating the annual RFP…
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