On Tuesday, the Warren County commissioners rejected a staff proposal to apply for the county share while developing a transit system to better serve the county’s businesses.
Commissioner Dave Young said the funds would just add further to the $22 trillion national debt and pointed to Kings Island as an example of a business that had created its own transit system to bring in workers.
Young said the county didn’t need the money to make up for losses since the coronavirus hit.
“Just because its quote unquote free money from the federal government doesn’t mean you should take it,” he said. “I don’t want to take part in the feeding frenzy at the borrowed federal-funding trough”.
Commissioner Shannon Jones expressed support for the plan to get the money and develop additional service proposed by Deputy Administrator Martin Russell, but offered no response to points raised by Young or Commissioner Tom Grossmann.
Warren County offers an on-demand service as well as a loop service in Lebanon, but there was no mention of the impact on the county system’s cash flow during Tuesday’s discussion. On-demand trips are down 60%, Susanne Mason of
Warren County Grants Administration said after the meeting.
Rather than focus on coronavirus-related losses, the meeting presentation and discussion involved only the new system to be developed to serve businesses on the I-71 and I-75 corridors.
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The federal money comes from $25 billion earmarked for public transit in the federal $2 trillion package passed on March 27.
Last month, the bus systems serving Montgomery, Greene and Miami counties submitted an application through which the Greater Dayton RTA expects to receive $75 million, Greene CATS Public Transit $4.6 million and Miami County Transit $1.7 million.
"It's extremely important for us," said Bob Ruzinsky, deputy CEO for Greater Dayton RTA. "Without it, like any other agencies, we would have been looking at major cuts."
RELATED: RTA bus ridership declines during pandemic
Ken Collier, executive director for Greene CATS, indicated the system anticipated losses “well into” next year.
Greene CATS provides on demand service in Greene and “limited service to neighboring counties,” as well as flex route transportation between Beavercreek, Fairborn, Xenia and Yellow Springs. Miami County provides on-demand rides.
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