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County told rural transit service will suspend Dec. 1 without local match funding
Summary
CCAP/SEK officials told the Bourbon County Commission that the BV Go rural transit service will be suspended Dec. 1 unless local matching funds are raised; the provider needs written pledges by Nov. 1 for a federal/state grant that begins July 1, 2026.
Casey Brown and Scott Christiansen of SEK/CCAP told the Bourbon County Commission on Oct. 20 that the BV Go regional transit pilot serving Bourbon County will pause on Dec. 1 unless local matching funds are found.
The transit representatives said the service began July 1 and the current funding year runs through June 30, 2026. SEK/CCAP said state and federal funds cover about 70 percent of operating costs but the program requires a 30 percent local match. For the current year the partners have exhausted local match and SEK/CCAP will suspend service on Dec. 1 unless additional county-level or city-level funds are identified.
SEK/CCAP asked the commission to consider immediate support and to provide a written pledge for next year’s grant application, due the week before Thanksgiving. The provider said it needs written pledges by Nov. 1 to include Bourbon County in the application that would cover the July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027 grant year.
Why it matters: rural residents rely on the three-day-per-week service for medical trips and other essential travel, and cutting the program would remove scheduled rides for some residents.
Details from the presentation: SEK/CCAP said the full-year cost for a three-day-a-week service is roughly $24,000, which the presenter broke down as about $8,000 per service day for the year. SEK/CCAP said it already has $10,000 in local commitments that would keep three-day service running through the remainder of the current calendar year, and earlier in the year the county and city each committed $5,000 for the pilot.
To expand the grant to cover an additional jurisdiction (named in the presentation as Carbon County), SEK/CCAP said it needs roughly $19,000 in additional local match. For next year the only confirmed pledge so far is $5,000 from the city of Fort Scott; SEK/CCAP said it is seeking commitments from the county and other local partners.
Commissioners asked about alternative local funding sources and community fundraising; SEK/CCAP said ride donations are modest (roughly $300–$400 program-wide per month) and cannot be counted as match for the state program. The provider said private fundraising or business sponsorships are feasible and welcomed.
The commission did not make a formal funding commitment during the Oct. 20 meeting; county staff said they will review budget options and follow up with SEK/CCAP before the Nov. 1 pledge deadline.
Ending: SEK/CCAP urged the commission to decide quickly because the provider must show a local match to draw state and federal funds for the remainder of the current grant year and to be included in the application for next year.
