The Ellettsville Town Council said it will help Monroe County fund Rural Transit for part of 2024, ensuring riders can receive regular service for the immediate future.
The council on Monday unanimously approved a resolution to fund the service on a per-trip basis through the end of March — less than the full year county officials had hoped for.
The council’s resolution left open the question of a funding source, however, as nothing was appropriated to cover expenses.
Council President William Ellis said this is only a temporary solution.
“This isn’t the most, ‘Oh my gosh, we’ve solved this problem,” Ellis said. “All we’ve done is pushed it forward, but eventually … we have to figure out whether we’re in this business or not.”
William Ellis (FILE PHOTO: Alan Mbathi/IPB News)
The county recently approved $88,000 in COVID-19 relief funds for Rural Transit, expecting that Ellettsville would pay the remaining $132,000 of the $220,000 needed for a full year of regular service.
But the council’s vote came with the understanding that it must later approve a special appropriation.
Ellis said an appropriation of about $33,000 will likely occur at the council’s next meeting on Dec. 27. However, exact figures won’t be known until the town receives its first invoice in February for January service.
Ellis previously said the council was considering funds from an opioid lawsuit settlement, but he now does not believe there’s enough money from that. It’s now looking into reversions, or leftover funds from town departments.
Ellettsville has not typically funded Rural Transit, but a lack of state funding for next year prompted the town and county to take action. Starting next year, the Indiana Department of Transportation will no longer subsidize trips between two urbanized areas.
That's a result of pressure from the Federal Transit Administration, which told INDOT it would further scrutinize nonurban transit systems to ensure they’re not providing such trips.
Rural Transit currently provides trips between urbanized areas, such as from Ellettsville to the Walmart on Bloomington’s west side — and Ellettsville residents have come to rely on those routes.
Officials described the outcome of Monday’s meeting as a compromise between needing to continue Rural Transit service and guaranteeing other services residents rely on.
Council member Dan Swafford was adamant the town continue Rural Transit one way or another.
“There are a lot of residents and the elderly that depend on this service, and if we take that away from them, it’s going to be horrible for them,” Swafford said. “This was thrown at us, and it’s a big shock. It’s a big amount. But it’s our residents, and we have to do something in order to provide this service for them.”
Dan Swafford (Courtesy of Community Access Television Services)
Council member Scott Oldham, on the other hand, scrutinized the idea of funding Rural Transit for a full year despite wanting to do so.
“Right now, we simply don’t have the money to do that,” Oldham said. “Unless, and I’ll put this to my other colleagues up here, and I don’t mean this to be offensive: what are we cutting? Are you going to cut a fireman? Policeman? Somebody from streets? Somebody from planning? What are you doing?”
Scott Oldham (Courtesy of Community Access Television Services)
As it stands, Rural Transit riders can make the same trips they have been for at least the first few months of 2024 once the council makes an appropriation. The council will determine at its first meeting in March whether it can continue to fund the service, according to Ellis.
Ellis said the town will look at whether the service is being used mainly for essential trips, such as getting to medical appointments, which could determine whether the council can continue to fund it past March.
“After March, I don’t know what we’re going to do,” Ellis said. “I’m hoping to work with the state to get this resolved. Short of that, it’s a really problematic situation.”
