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Commissioner appointed to SEPTA board; commissioners stress regional transit advocacy
Summary
The Board appointed a county commissioner to fill a vacant seat on the SEPTA board and discussed using that board seat to press for sustained state funding and greater transparency on SEPTA finances.
Montgomery County commissioners voted Jan. 9 to appoint a county commissioner to fill the county’s vacancy on the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) board.
The appointment followed the departure of long-serving appointee Rob Fox; the board thanked Fox for his nearly 10 years of service. Commissioners said the county’s representative on SEPTA will advocate for the region and push for greater Commonwealth funding to address SEPTA’s budget shortfall.
During discussion, one commissioner said many Montgomery County residents do not use SEPTA but nevertheless pay for it through property taxes and asked for more oversight and detailed financial reporting from SEPTA. Another commissioner noted the economic importance of SEPTA to the region and said the county representative should advocate at the state level for transit funding and for improvements to service reliability and safety.
The motion to appoint the commissioner passed by voice vote; chair and board members said they look forward to using the seat to press for clarity on SEPTA finances and regional support for public transit.
