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RTA says SB 21‑11 brings transformational funding but raises governance questions for collar counties
Summary
RTA officials described Senate Bill 21‑11 as providing roughly $1.25 billion in new operating funds for the region, eliminating fare increases for 2026 and setting a path to reorganize the RTA into the Northern Illinois Transit Authority. County members raised concerns about representation and the reallocation of motor fuel tax revenue.
JD Ross, RTA board member, and Kevin Buyso, RTA chief financial officer, presented a regional budget overview tied to Senate Bill 21‑11 and fielded extended questions from the Will County board about funding sources, governance and local impacts.
Ross described the legislation as "a new era" for regional transit, saying it will allow service boards to avoid the severe cuts and fare hikes some other cities faced. Buyso walked the committee through the bill’s two primary operating revenue sources as presented in their slides: a quarter‑percent sales tax increase (which the…
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