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Interim transit manager warns Bisbee Bus faces $159,535 shortfall; council approves federal-compliance measures
Summary
Interim Transit Manager Melanie Greene told the council the Bisbee Bus program faces a $159,535.13 funding gap in FY 2026 and can run out of funds by March or early May; the council approved procurement, ADA, DBE, Title VI and contract-administration steps to maintain federal compliance.
Melanie Greene, Interim Transit Manager, told the Bisbee mayor and council on Jan. 6 that the city’s Bisbee Bus program faces a fiscal-year budget of $446,811.40 and a funding gap of $159,535.13 that could leave operations funded only through March or early May 2026.
She outlined operational improvements already completed — revised fare collection processes, a federal program audit, vehicle maintenance plans and procurement work for two replacement vehicles — and said the city has prepared RFP documents for a new operations contractor after a ten-year contract with Douglas. Greene said the current cost per ride is approximately $13.41 and recommended hiring a full-time transit manager to administer the program.
The council approved a series of federally related compliance measures Greene presented. Councilmembers voted unanimously to: approve a Notice of Intent to Adopt Ordinance O-26-02 (amending Chapter 3.5, Procurement) to bring procurement rules into federal compliance; adopt revised Bisbee Bus ADA policies; approve a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program plan for the Bisbee Bus; approve the city’s Title VI Plan as revised; and adopt a Contract Administration Manual intended to reduce audit risk.
Greene described the city’s strategies to fill the funding gap: requesting additional ADOT funding, seeking approximately $30,000 from county supervisors to cover service to county residents, and asking the sheriff’s department for about $2,575 to cover rides for released jail inmates. She also proposed modest ridership increases (4% this year, 4–8% the following year) to lower cost per ride and improve grant competitiveness.
Mayor Ken Budge said he would work with state legislators and county officials to seek supplemental support. Greene emphasized training and documentation changes meant to satisfy federal auditors and to protect access for riders with disabilities; she said some contractor policies required adjustment and that drivers have been instructed to “err on the side of doing the right thing” when disability documentation is unclear.
The council’s approvals were unanimous; several motions were made by Anna Cline, Karen Schumacher and Pete Skinner at the council’s request. Next steps identified in the meeting included pursuing state and county support, continuing procurement work for vehicles and advertising the operations contract.
