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Transit provider seeks $2.08M to maintain Go Line service; county staff proposes lower initial funding with mid‑year review
Summary
Senior Resource Association CEO Karen Deagle urged the county to fund Go Line at $2.08M to preserve service hours amid a 17% ridership increase and surging fuel costs. Staff recommended a lower figure and the board agreed to consider a mid‑year amendment if necessary.
Karen Deagle, CEO of Senior Resource Association (SRA), told commissioners on July 8 that Go Line ridership grew 17% last year and the agency faces a steep increase in fuel costs. SRA requested $2,082,557 in local funding to maintain existing service hours.
Deagle said fuel expenses alone rose roughly 45% year‑over‑year and the three‑year $800,000 per year service‑development grant that temporarily funded expanded hours will expire mid‑fiscal year. "Last year, Go Line provided 1,500,000 passenger trips, a 17% increase," Deagle said, urging the board to fund the agency to avoid reduced service hours that would hurt riders who depend on transit for work, medical appointments and essential trips.
County staff recommended funding at a lower level (approximately $1,874,557), noting the need to balance limited general fund resources and the possibility of addressing the shortfall via a budget amendment later in the fiscal year if additional revenues or savings materialize. Commissioners and staff agreed to leave the recommended budget as presented and to work with SRA on options before the September hearings, including the potential for a mid‑year amendment if fuel prices or grant timing requires it.
Why it matters: Go Line provides critical mobility for many county residents; service reductions would disproportionately affect transit‑dependent and lower‑income populations. Commissioners flagged the sensitivity of transit hours to funding and supported working with SRA to preserve service while protecting the county’s overall fiscal position.
Next steps: Staff will continue discussions with SRA and may bring a budget amendment to the board if necessary before or during FY27 to restore or preserve service hours depending on actual fuel costs and revenue flows.
