Dodge County agrees to boost funding for Fremont Transit Program amid federal shifts

Dodge County supervisors on June 10 unanimously approved increasing county support for the Fremont Transit Program to $35,000 for each of the next two fiscal years, a move county officials said is needed after reductions in federal funding.

Terra Uhing, executive director of Three Rivers Public Health Department, said a needs‑assessment survey identified access to health care as a major need for county residents and that transportation plays a key role in meeting that need. "Access to health care is a big need in Dodge County; transportation is a major piece of that identified need," Uhing said. Melissa Diers, executive director of the Fremont Area Community Foundation, said program partners are looking to expand services and that securing stable local funding is critical.

Supervisor Strand asked whether the group had explored a cooperative agreement with Joyride Public Transit, which serves neighboring counties; Uhing said partners have discussed Joyride's management model but had not yet opened formal talks about a cooperative agreement. Supervisor Bendig asked whether reduced federal funding required a larger local match; Diers said shifts in funding led partners to request increased local contributions.

The Board stressed the need for partners to extend service beyond Fremont as funding allows and voted unanimously to approve the requested county contribution for FY2026‑27 and FY2027‑28. The funding is intended as local match and operational support while partners pursue broader service collaborations and additional grants.

Next steps: program partners were asked to continue outreach, pursue cooperative options with neighboring transit providers and report back to the Board on expansion plans and funding progress.