EUPTA board formalizes monthly approval of A/P and EFT transfers; finance report to be included beginning in March
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Summary
At its Feb. 4 meeting the Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority unanimously voted to require formal board approval of prior-month accounts payable and EFT transfers and to start approving the Finance Director's report along with those transfers beginning in March. The board also reviewed ridership and revenue trends and recent FY2026 grant applications to MDOT.
The Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority board voted unanimously Feb. 4 to require formal monthly approval of the prior month's accounts payable (A/P) and electronic funds transfers (EFT) and to begin formally approving the Finance Director's report along with those transfers starting in March. Trustee Lynda Garlitz made the motion; John Waltman seconded.
Why it matters: The change creates a recurring, recorded oversight step that the board said will increase transparency over monthly disbursements. At the same meeting Finance Director Ms. Gordon reviewed revenue trends, grant activity and operating pressures that framed the request for clearer monthly approvals.
Board finance snapshot: Ms. Gordon reported a 13% decrease in bus fare revenue and an 11% decline in total bus revenue year over year, and said nonemergency medical transport (NEMT) activity has slowed. She noted the state reimbursement rate is 34% for the current year and that FY2026 projections indicate a 30% reimbursement rate. The authority no longer receives American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding ($84,000 in the prior year), Ms. Gordon said, and the board discussed how that loss, combined with lower fare revenue and projected reimbursement declines, could pressure operating budgets.
Capital and grants: Ms. Gordon said she had submitted three FY2026 applications to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) seeking funds for replacement vehicles and dock and vessel upgrades for the ferry system.
Other fiscal details: The board reviewed that the Regional Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP) grant covers employee training and travel costs up to $7,500 per year. Ms. Gordon also walked trustees through fare-mix changes on the ferry system (a shift toward credit-card payments) and a seasonally slow first quarter for traffic, with ridership and revenue expected to increase in the third quarter.
What's next: The board will implement the formal monthly approval process in March. Anderson Tackman auditors are scheduled to present the annual audit at the March 2025 meeting.