Commissioner seeks $50,000 line item for Access Transportation task force as service cuts continue

A commissioner (speaker S4) reported that the Access Transportation Task Force is working to respond to service and funding shortfalls that predate and were exacerbated by COVID. The task force reviewed options including downsizing larger buses in favor of handicap-accessible minivans and stopping some weekend service; the commissioner said Sunday service stopped July 1 and that the program has been living on reserves.

To allow the task force time to develop solutions while preserving funding leverage for state and federal matches, the same commissioner asked the board to "put it back in as the access line item for 50,000" rather than leaving the funds as unencumbered cash. County administrator Darren Myers explained that designating a line item would not force immediate payment; instead the clerk's office would not create a voucher until the commission directed release of funds in 2027. Commissioners discussed trade-offs about leverage and whether the county should commit the transfer now or hold it in reserve.