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County warns Hogback route funding limited as it shifts budget priorities; senior meals funding bridged
Summary
Garfield County officials told Carbondale trustees the Hogback RAFTA bus route has funding through November and that county revenues have fallen, prompting cuts. The county agreed to a $35,000 bridge for Valley Meals and More to sustain congregate/home-delivered meals to the east side of the county, leaving about $15,000 for municipalities to cover.
Garfield County officials told Carbondale trustees that declining oil-and-gas revenues have forced cuts to discretionary grants, reducing long-standing support for transit and social services.
"We dropped about $10 million last year in revenues," Garfield County Commissioner Tom Jankovsky said, describing why the county has reduced its RAFTA Hogback grants over the last two decades from seven-figure awards to $250,000 most recently. Jankovsky said RAFTA has said it has funding for the Hogback through November and that local governments and the transit agency are exploring long-term options.
The funding squeeze reached social services: Department of Human Services deputy director Sheila Cox reported a Valley Meals and More contract that covered congregate and home-delivered meals will end June 30. Valley Meals requested $50,000 to continue services through the year; county staff proposed $35,000 and commissioners approved an allocation intended to get the provider to year-end. "That will help get Valley Meals through till the end of the year," a participant confirmed.
County staff discussed separating the congregate-meals contract from traveler (demand-response) transportation so each can be negotiated on clearer terms. Officials said the traveler program has high per-ride costs — "$70, $80 dollars per ride" for some trips — and that changing travel patterns and new circulator services affect per-trip denominators and cost allocations. Heather Bailey, Garfield County attorney, confirmed current county support covers roughly 50 percent of some services and that municipalities will need to weigh whether to pick up remaining funding gaps.
Carbondale trustees and staff agreed to continue local conversations with RFTA and neighboring municipalities about short-term fixes and longer-term funding models. County staff said detailed MOU drafts will be circulated starting in September, with October for discussion and a final MOU expected to come to the board in November.
The meeting did not record a formal vote tally for the county allocation; staff characterized the county action as a bridge allocation to Valley Meals and More with remaining funding responsibilities left to the municipalities.
