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Henderson County seeks $31,545 from Fletcher for Apple Country transit in FY‑26
Summary
Henderson County planner Janice Young Fuller asked the Fletcher Town Council to approve a $31,545 FY‑26 contribution for Apple Country Public Transit, citing higher paratransit use in Fletcher and offering an interlocal agreement option to stabilize future costs.
Janice Young Fuller, senior planner with Henderson County, told the Fletcher Town Council the county is requesting a $31,545 contribution from the town for the FY‑26 Apple Country Public Transit match, a figure she said is based on the percentage of stops and paratransit trips within Fletcher and its extraterritorial jurisdiction.
Fuller outlined the system’s funding structure, saying federal Section 5307 funds flow through the metropolitan planning organization and the City of Asheville before reaching Henderson County and that only a portion of contracted operating costs are eligible for federal reimbursement. She also noted the county eliminated fares and extended evening service in response to recent storms.
Council members asked for more detail about how many stops and paratransit trips in Fletcher drove the town’s portion; Fuller said the invoice shows roughly 2,500 paratransit trips were used in the prior fiscal period and that Fletcher’s paratransit demand had risen significantly in the past year. "We had 73,486 riders in the last fiscal year systemwide," Fuller said, and described how paratransit and fixed route service are linked under ADA rules.
Several council members suggested Fletcher consider an interlocal agreement with Henderson County to fix future annual costs rather than remain subject to per‑invoice variability. Fuller said such an agreement is similar to the one the county has with the city of Hendersonville and could be set to run through the current contract period, which she said is scheduled to expire in FY‑28.
The council asked staff to circulate the detailed invoice and route maps and to return with options, including the interlocal agreement and a more zoomed‑in map of Fletcher’s stops. Fuller said she would email the map and supporting invoice information to town staff.
The council did not take a final vote at the meeting; members indicated they would consider the request during budget deliberations and explore the interlocal agreement option.
