Churchill County agrees to absorb CART, authorizes Social Services to apply for state transit grants

The Churchill County Board of Commissioners voted to bring the Churchill Area Regional Transportation program under county administration effective on or before October 2025 and authorized the director of Social Services to work with CART’s interim director to submit NDOT grant applications.

The move is intended to stabilize a rural transit service that has operated as a standalone nonprofit but has struggled to recruit a permanent director and to meet some compliance requirements. Shannon Hurts, director of Churchill County Social Services, told the board CART has operated with an interim director for several years and that the nonprofit has faced “findings” during a December compliance audit.

“It's really looking at an amazing program within our community that needs to be maintained,” Hurts said, arguing county oversight would preserve service continuity. Carla Kent, president of the CART Board of Directors, told commissioners recruiting a director has been difficult because the nonprofit cannot offer retirement benefits to the position.

Interim CART director Kathy Lacero described daily ridership as “between, 50 and, on a good day, almost a hundred,” and said CART provided about 17,000 unduplicated rides last year. Hurts said placing CART inside county government would add costs if the program were run as a standalone county department (an estimated $75,000 in added personnel costs), but aligning it with the county’s aging and disabilities services could reduce that increase by roughly $40,000.

The board approved a motion directing county staff to implement CART as part of Churchill County on or before October 2025 and to authorize the Social Services director to submit the NDOT grant applications referenced in the motion (“N. 5310, 5311, and 5339 grant applications for FY ’26 and FY ’27 on or before March the tenth of 2025 to be effective on or before October 2025”). The motion passed on a voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Why it matters: Rural transit provides essential mobility for seniors, people with disabilities and residents without other transportation options. The board’s vote moves responsibility—and associated budget and compliance obligations—onto county government while meeting an immediate state grant deadline.

What the board discussed: Commissioners and staff questioned daily usage, funding risks if grants are not awarded, and the administrative placement in county government. Hurts told the board that if an NDOT application under the county is not funded, county staff would scale back service using existing senior levy or Social Services budgets to maintain a minimal program while seeking alternative funding.

Next steps: Social Services was authorized to submit the NDOT applications by the deadline; the board will evaluate placement (e.g., under Social Services or other county structure) if funding is awarded. The motion did not adopt a final organizational chart or commit specific funding beyond authorizing the grant applications.

Votes and motion text: The motion recorded on the transcript was: “a motion to proceed with Churchill County to implement the Churchill Area Regional Transportation as part of the county on or before October 2025 and to further authorize and direct social services director to work with the cart interim director to submit N. 5310, 5311, and 5339 grant applications for FY ’26 and FY ’27 on or before March the tenth of 2025 to be effective on or before October 2025.” The board voted in favor; the chair announced “Motion carries.”