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CityLink presents balanced $20.8 million 2026 budget; council committee gives 9-0 recommendation
Summary
CityLink officials presented a balanced $20,776,431 2026 budget to the Fort Wayne Common Council, flagged service optimizations that will reduce fixed-route positions, a planned paratransit outsourcing pending union ratification and new federal funding; the finance committee issued a 9-0 do-pass recommendation.
CityLink, Fort Wayne's public transportation enterprise, presented its 2026 budget to the council on Sept. 23 and said the plan balances at $20,776,431 while pursuing operational efficiencies and new federal revenue that will help stabilize service.
"We're continuing to look forward to finding ways to operate sustainably and at the same time delivering new results for the community," CityLink general manager and CEO John Metzinger said during the finance committee presentation.
Why it matters: CityLink provides critical mobility for non-drivers and the transit-dependent population in Fort Wayne. Decisions on routes, paratransit operations and local contributions affect workers, riders and municipal budgets.
Key points from the presentation: - CityLink presented a balanced 2026 budget of $20,776,431. (Latasha Townsend, CFO) - Officials said they implemented a fare increase earlier in 2025 and saw a 7% increase in fare revenue in the most recent financial report. (John Metzinger) - CityLink reported it received $900,000 in federal surface-transportation funds (flexed to transit) as a two-year commitment ($900,000 for 2026 and another $900,000 for 2027) to support operations. - Pending union ratification, CityLink plans to outsource access-paratransit operations to a private operator that would lease CityLink vehicles and rehire drivers, with CityLink staff saying riders should see "very little impact." (John Metzinger) - Service "optimizations" will reduce fixed-route service but officials said the network will be repurposed so most existing locations remain served or are within a short walk; route changes will be discussed in public engagement sessions before implementation next year. (John Metzinger) - Capital priorities include vehicle replacements (including a local match for hybrid buses tied to a discretionary grant), an underground fuel storage replacement project and bus-wash and generator work; local capital contribution is about $1,100,000.
Budget detail and labor: Latasha Townsend, CityLink CFO, said salary and wage spending was reduced by 1% through route optimization, with an expected attrition of about five drivers (no layoffs planned). Fringe benefits budget includes a 2% increase driven by a roughly 10% actuarially driven increase in pension contributions.
Council action: The finance committee voted a 9-0 do-pass recommendation on the CityLink appropriation ordinance. Committee members asked for detailed public engagement on route changes and for the transit authority to return with specifics before service changes are finalized.
Ending: CityLink officials said a long-range transit plan will be launched later in 2025 and a pilot CMAQ-funded service to South Fort Wayne job centers is planned for 2027; staff said they will hold public sessions on proposed route optimizations before any changes go into effect.
