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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 RTA board must approve) and a reallocation of 5 percentage points of the existing motor fuel tax rate to transit. RTA staff estimated the bill could yield roughly $1.25 billion regionally over the coming years, with the quarter‑percent sales tax alone estimated at about $478 million for the region.
Buyso also explained changes to farebox recovery rules: the statutory recovery target used to be 50% (including many credits); under the new structure the recovery ratio will be closer to 20–25% with fewer allowable credits, a calculation RTA staff said better matches current fare realities.
Several board members from Will County voiced governance and fiscal concerns. Director Balich asked where the motor fuel tax funding originally went and warned that shifting fuel tax to transit risks shortfalls for roads, calling the approach "robbing Peter to pay Paul." RTA responded that replacement funding for roads is expected to flow to the tollway/IDOT and offered to follow up with county‑level breakdowns and tollway estimates.
On governance, RTA outlined the NITA transition timeline: if enacted, key implementation steps occur in 2026 (SB 21‑11 effective dates and RTA/NITA board transitions), with a new 20‑member NITA board composed of five seats each from the governor, city of Chicago, Cook County and the collar counties. Several members asked how votes and supermajority rules would function in practice and were reassured the RTA had published a summary and would provide further documentation.
Ending: RTA committed to circulate detailed budget pages and a written summary of SB 21‑11 provisions, to follow up with county‑level motor fuel tax data and to provide estimates on tollway/IDOT replacements for reallocated revenue.
