Madison County pledges $80,000 to Big Sky transit, with up to $125,000 if Gallatin pays its share

Madison County commissioners voted to commit $80,000 in local funds to the Big Sky Transportation District’s fiscal 2027 operating budget and signaled willingness to increase that amount to the full $125,000 request if Gallatin County contributes its portion.

Darren Broman of the Big Sky Transportation District told the board the $125,000 request represents roughly 3% of the district’s operating budget and helps run Skyline bus service in the Big Sky area; he said the district carried about 280,000 passenger boardings last winter and about 130,000 of those boardings occurred at the mountain resort in Madison County. “Our request was 125,000,” Broman said.

Commissioners raised questions about how fare revenue and inter-county funding affect the request and noted that previous contributions from Gallatin County were restricted to capital purchases rather than operations. After debate, a motion and second were made to authorize $80,000 now and to provide up to $125,000 if Gallatin County funds its share; the motion carried. The transcript does not record individual roll-call tallies.

The county’s contribution is intended for operating expenses only, not capital purchases such as bus replacements, and commissioners directed staff to confirm appropriation lines and any reporting or accountability language the county should require in a funding agreement.

Next steps include notifying the district of the county’s funding decision and clarifying the conditional increase if Gallatin County commits funds.