Commissioners approve transit cash‑match agreements after requests for methodology details

Kootenai County commissioners approved FY26 letters of agreement establishing local cash matches to maintain public transportation services, but the meeting featured sustained requests for the exact methodology used to allocate funds among jurisdictions.

Transit staff (identified in the record as Chad) told the board the cash‑match calculation is “based on each jurisdiction population” with an annual 3% adjustment consistent with previous agreements. He said the overall calculation uses population as a key variable and additional needs considerations. “This is calculated based on each jurisdiction population and the annual 3% adjustment is consistent with existing agreements,” Chad said when presenting the agreements.

A public commenter (Captain Commissioner Park) and multiple commissioners pressed for a written methodology: is the match a cost per mile, per stop, or determined by each city’s requested amount? Chad said staff would provide the documentation showing how the dollars were calculated. Commissioners asked whether the agreements needed to be approved that day; staff said at least one city needed the agreement on the business meeting schedule and that the city had already included funding in its budget.

The board then approved the cash‑match letters of agreement and separately approved a festival transit agreement with Post Falls Parks and Recreation; staff said the city has funds in place to cover driver and service costs for the festival.

Next steps: transit staff committed to providing the requested methodology documentation to the board at an upcoming business meeting.