SCRTD approves officer slate, budget amendment and service agreements at special Jan. 29 meeting

The South Central Regional Transit District voted unanimously Jan. 29 to confirm its 2025 officers, approve a limited FY2025 budget amendment and accept several service- and procurement-related resolutions.

Board members met in a special session at 1:37 p.m. in the Doña Ana County commission chambers. The board approved the chair, vice chair, secretary and treasurer by acclamation or roll call vote and then moved through a series of consent and action items including a resolution fixing the 2025 meeting schedule, an amendment to the FY2025 budget as of Dec. 31, 2024, acceptance of the second-quarter financial report and interlocal and procurement items to support service expansion and passenger amenities.

Why it matters: the actions clear administrative steps the district says are needed before it can access and spend federal and other grant money for buses, facilities and passenger amenities. Board discussion also addressed a short-term federal funding uncertainty that the executive director said had been partially resolved but that could affect grant programming by an April review date established by an executive order.

Key details: the budget amendment increased overall expenditures by $55,667.63 and made line-item adjustments across travel, legal fees, IT services, facility lease and other accounts; revenues were adjusted to reflect minor changes, including a reported $2,025 decrease in fares and ticket sales. Finance staff reported a cash balance of $735,215.65 and said capital collections totaled $1,593,613.22 through Dec. 31, 2024 (about 12.3 percent of the capital budget).

The board approved an interlocal agreement with the City of El Paso to manage cross-border funding and two procurement-related contracts: a 10-year transit service and financial plan (procurement award to the single responsive proposer listed in the materials) and a contract for bus shelters and passenger amenities. Presenters said both procurements were within available grant budgets.

Votes at a glance

- Agenda approval — motion carried by voice vote. - Minutes of Oct. 23, 2024 — approved (roll call: Padilla, Hernandez, Powley, Madillo, Reynolds — yes). - Officer appointments (chair: Commissioner Sanchez; vice chair: Mayor Hernandez; secretary: Councilor Yvonne Flores; treasurer: Javier Ferreira) — each approved by roll call (unanimous). - Resolution FY2524: 2025 board meeting schedule — approved (unanimous). - Item 9: Amendment to FY2025 budget as of Dec. 31, 2024 (increase in expenditures $55,667.63; revenue adjustments) — approved (unanimous). - Item 10: FY2025 second-quarter financial report (through Dec. 31, 2024) — accepted (unanimous). - Item 11: Resolution approving an interlocal agreement with the City of El Paso for service expansion — approved (unanimous). - Item 12: Approval to proceed with the 10-year transit service and financial plan procurement award — approved (unanimous). - Item 13: Approval of the bus shelter and passenger amenities procurement award — approved (unanimous).

What board members said: David Armijo, the district executive director, described the interlocal with El Paso as necessary to access funds that support service across Anthony, Chaparral, Santa Teresa, Sunland Park and connections into El Paso. Adam Shea, the district finance officer, summarized the budget amendment and financials and said personnel services account for roughly three-quarters of year-to-date expenditures.

Next steps and context: staff said some federal grant actions were briefly paused by an OMB notice that was later rescinded; the district expects further federal review by April 15 and will return to the board with any updates on grant programming. Staff also said they plan a spring grand opening related to new facilities and equipment.