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City transit administrator warns Collin County program faces a multi‑year CARES Act funding cliff; board debates cuts, recertification and fees
Summary
City of McKinney transit administrator Jasmine Tucker told the board the Collin County Transit Program relies on CARES Act funds and a 50/50 FTA match; staff said CARES funding could be depleted in about four years unless local matches or cuts are made, prompting questions about recertification, limiting trip purposes and introducing an administrative fee for member cities.
Jasmine Tucker, transit administrator for the City of McKinney, told the transit board that the Collin County Transit Program’s funding mix includes FTA Section 5307 formula funds (which require a 50/50 match), TxDOT funds, member city contributions and farebox revenue, and that CARES Act funds awarded in 2020 have been a major gap‑filler.
Tucker said the program was awarded about $8,800,000 in CARES Act funding in 2020 and that as of fiscal year 2025 the program had spent just under $920,000; staff plan to draw down closer to $920,000 in FY26 and anticipates roughly $4,200,000 available for FY27 and beyond under current plans. She told the board that because TxDOT formula funding has been largely stagnant and member city contributions were not collected for several years until 2025, the program has leaned on CARES funds to cover local match and operations.
Board members probed why FTA 5307 drawdowns do not match local contributions year to year; Tucker said the composition of eligible local match (TxDOT plus member city contributions) and the static nature of TxDOT formula funding explain some differences, and that drawing down fewer CARES dollars would require significantly higher member city contributions.
Discussion turned to program eligibility and cost control. Several members suggested instituting a formal recertification process for riders certified through partners such as Samaritan Inn to confirm continued eligibility after a transition period; staff said Samaritan Inn provides in‑house certifications and notifies the program when a rider exits, and that staff conduct informal follow‑up but could institute a formal recertification schedule. The board also discussed collecting trip‑purpose data more comprehensively — staff said trip purpose is currently asked by call takers and via GoPass for about half of bookings — and whether limiting certain trip purposes would be a viable way to reduce costs.
Tucker said staff believe the program will exhaust current CARES Act funds in roughly four years at the current level of service, and asked the board for direction to analyze combinations of revenue increases and expenditure reductions rather than making an immediate decision.
No formal financial decision was made at the meeting; the board adjourned after public comment (none offered) and a motion to adjourn by Mary Cox, second by Mr. Cloutier, after which the chair declared the meeting adjourned.
