County commissioner urges use and publicity for planned Mason on‑demand transit; flags $10 million county deficit

Carla Ruiz, a county commissioner, told the Mason City Council during public comment on Aug. 5 that she had received a constituent complaint about limited CATA bus service in Mason, particularly on weekends.

Ruiz said some residents who no longer drive find Uber and Lyft prohibitively expensive or unavailable in the area. She said CATA officials responded to the complaint and are planning to combine the Mason Connector and the Mason ReadyRide into a single, pay-on-demand service that would operate on weekends as well as weekdays.

Ruiz said the service is expected to be in effect within 30 to 45 days, and she asked city officials, community organizations and residents to help publicize the pilot so ridership will support continuing the service. She said the existing ReadyRide coverage is currently largely limited to the city of Mason and the proposed change would allow travel to doctor's appointments and destinations elsewhere in the county.

Ruiz also raised a separate fiscal concern: she said the county is beginning its budget process for fiscal year 2026 and faces about a $10,000,000 deficit. She said county leaders are considering adding millages to move general fund services to millage funding — an approach she said she does not support — and that discussions about other funding options would continue.

Ruiz concluded by saying she will keep the council updated as details change but noted scheduling conflicts may prevent her from attending all city meetings.