City budget limits funding for SPOT
SANDPOINT — Council members didn’t raise funding for the Selkirks-Pend Oreille Transit system Wednesday — but that might not be the final word on the issue.
SPOT funding was the issue of the evening preceding the City Council’s approval of the $27 million final budget for the next fiscal year. While members didn’t boost the $60,000 line item to $78,000, they said there was no reason they couldn’t move money into the bus system from other funded projects they chose not to pursue. They also encouraged officials to investigate alternate funding sources from entities like Bonner County or the Independent Highway District.
“We’re extremely supportive of SPOT and think it’s an extremely good service,” Councilwoman Carrie Logan said. “The only question is how many dollars we can direct toward it.”
Last month, SPOT manager Marion Johnson and District 1 transportation director Clif Warren requested the city raise its funding contribution from $50,000 to $78,000. The extra funding would make up the difference in changes to federal grant distribution requiring extra match funding from local sources.
Following the request, council members raised SPOT funding to $60,000, but decided not to boost it any further for the time being.
In contrast, the Ponderay City Council authorized $81,000 in SPOT funding — the full requested amount — when members approved the city’s final budget Monday.
Council members will need to move general funds from another project to SPOT before January if they choose to increase system funding. That’s when the system needs its financial commitments in place, Warren said.
If Sandpoint remains at $60,000 in funding, SPOT will lose 18 percent of its operating budget unless operators find ways to make up the cost, according to Warren. That means the blue route — which predominately covers Sandpoint stops — will be cut to five hours a day except in winter, when extra funding from Schweitzer Mountain Resort will help make up the difference. Warren estimates the slashed operational hours will result in 10,978 rides lost over the course of a year.
During the public hearing, individuals turned out both in favor and against increasing SPOT funding. Sagle resident Bill Litsinger suggested charging a small fee for rides might be the best way to make up the difference.
“It seems like in these tough financial times, passing out free rides isn’t the best use of taxpayer funds,” he said.
However, Warren noted that for a transportation system of SPOT’s size, charging for rides was actually cost-prohibitive. The need for additional equipment to handle transactions combined with the security risk of handling the money would seriously cut into revenue, he said.
On the other side of the coin, several SPOT drivers related stories of elderly residents who depend on the system to do their shopping, make doctor appointments and maintain their social lives. They urged council members to support the system, and by extension, the residents that depend on it.