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Senior services says budget cuts make Rico transportation expansion infeasible
Summary
Dolores County senior‑services representative told the board that state funding cuts left the program short in its 2026 budget, estimating about $25,000 per driver and vehicle annually and warning that expansion to Rico is not possible without guaranteed multi‑year funding.
The senior services representative told the Dolores County board that cuts to state funding have left the department unable to guarantee expansion of transportation service to Rico.
"Without a guaranteed funding source, there's not really a way to do the transportation," the senior services representative said, adding that the program spends about $25,000 per year per driver and vehicle and must comply with Federal Transit Administration and state drug‑and‑alcohol requirements. She said most of current funding goes to running existing programs in Dove Creek and foundation grants only backfill budget gaps.
Board members acknowledged the shortfall and said they will review revenues before considering any expansion. The representative suggested the county or a partner such as the Ricoh Center could provide guaranteed support; she said she would be willing to pursue partnership discussions but "it takes a lot to do transportation" and year‑to‑year uncertainty makes a new Rico route impractical at present.
