Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transit Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Skyline Bus asks Madison County for $125,000 operating support for FY27
Summary
Big Sky Transportation District requested $125,000 from Madison County for FY27 operations, roughly 3% of its operating budget; the district described ridership growth, existing funding sources and future capital needs for bus replacement.
Darren Bugman, representing the Big Sky Transportation District (Skyline Bus), asked Madison County commissioners to consider a $125,000 contribution for FY27 to support existing operations.
"Our ask is 125,000 which is about 3% of our total operating budget," Bugman told the board, outlining the district’s funding mix (resort tax revenues, fares, state transit funds) and recent ridership increases. He said the district contracts most service and relies on federal grants to replace vehicles (often covering 80–90 percent of bus costs), but the county’s local share is required to leverage federal capital funds.
Bugman described planned service expansions and capital needs and said vehicle deliveries and federal grant timing create uncertainty for immediate capital requests; the present ask is strictly for operating funds. Commissioners agreed to put the funding request on the next Tuesday agenda for consideration and asked staff to include any budgetary impacts alongside other pending items.
