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Board approves 2025–27 STIF plan to fund transit wages, maintenance and partner services; chair notes new transit manager
Summary
Morrow County approved a $1,934,395 Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund plan for July 2025–2027 to fund transit wages, operations, a vehicle contingency, mobility management and partner services, and authorized staff to submit the plan to ODOT.
The Morrow County Board of Commissioners voted to submit a Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF) plan for July 2025–2027 that allocates $1,934,395 to transit operations, driver wages, vehicle contingency, mobility management and partner services.
Transit staff presented a three‑project plan: (1) general operating funds covering driver wages and preventative maintenance with a contingency for operations and a reserved vehicle contingency; (2) a local match fund set aside for anticipated state and federal grants; and (3) purchase services to pay local partners Kayak and Good Shepherd for specific routes and underserved populations. The packet and staff presentation explained that STIF rules permit transfers between tasks within a project with ODOT approval but do not allow moving money across projects without prior reauthorization.
Key financial items in the plan as presented include $950,000 budgeted for wages over two years; $552,395 for operations and preventative maintenance; a $100,000 operations contingency; a vehicle contingency reserve; $55,000 for mobility management and marketing; $77,000 set aside for local matches for future grants; and partner purchase services consisting of $30,000 for Kayak and $20,000 for Good Shepherd. An additional $90,000 in a highly rural veterans grant (HRTG) was described as reimbursement‑based and will be drawn down against eligible ridership once services run.
Transit staff noted an originally proposed vanpool subsidy was left at $0 in the plan because the state has separately announced dedicated funding for new vanpool programs; keeping a local placeholder would have locked $24,000 into a project the county might not need. County staff emphasized the plan was designed to maximize flexibility within STIF rules while preserving reserves for vehicle replacement and contingencies.
A commissioner disclosed a potential conflict of interest regarding the Good Shepherd contract, stating he sits on Good Shepherd’s board of directors and flagged that to the board prior to the vote. The board moved, seconded and approved submitting the STIF plan to the Oregon Department of Transportation; the transcript records the motion carried.
Chair Sexton and other commissioners thanked interim staff who had been managing transit during the staffing transition; the board noted a new transit manager was due to start on Monday and praised the interim manager for stepping up during the renewal process. Staff said they expect to learn STIF application award results by the end of the month and will report back to the board.
What this means: approval of the STIF plan allows county transit to continue operations, preserve vehicle reserves, set aside matching funds for grant opportunities and contract with partners to expand service coverage in the county. The plan anticipates carryover funds and a 20 percent STIF increase input from ODOT that staff must account for in the biennial plan.
