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Hazleton and Luzerne County transit directors request county local-match funding for state operating grants
Summary
Hazleton Public Transit requested a $229,778 county local match for state operating assistance; the Luzerne County Transportation Authority requested $871,609 for its FY2025–26 state operating match. Council discussed possible contributions from neighboring counties but took no vote.
Two transit agencies briefed Luzerne County Council on April 22, 2025, seeking local-match commitments required to receive Pennsylvania state operating funds.
Ralph Sharp, director of Hazleton Public Transit, told the council his agency needs a local match of $229,778 to receive $2,835,157 in state operating funds. Sharp said he had submitted paperwork from the city council requesting the local match as well.
Bob Fumi, the executive director identified in the meeting record as representing the Luzerne County Transportation Authority, said his agency receives approximately $8,678,868 in operating funding under the Pennsylvania code cited at the meeting and requested a local match of $871,609 for fiscal year 2025–26. Fumi referenced Act 89 of 2013 and said the required local-match percentage is rising toward 15 percent over time.
Council members discussed neighboring counties’ contributions. Councilman Sabatino said Carbon County indicated willingness to contribute incrementally and that county management would meet with Carbon County officials to discuss sharing costs; discussion of Schuylkill County outreach was noted but no commitment from that county was recorded. Council members asked county staff whether alternative county funding sources (for example, ARPA) were available; the manager's office representative said none were known to be available.
No formal motion or vote to commit county funds was recorded in the meeting transcript. Council members indicated support for continued conversation with neighboring counties and for placing the transit local-match resolutions on a future meeting agenda where formal action could be taken.
