Cape County Transit Authority to raise cost of senior coupons

Between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31, seniors will pay $2 more for Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority coupons.

The transit authority's board of directors approved the move at a Thursday morning meeting, after learning from transit authority executive director Tom Mogelnicki that the ride subsidy was used up.

Any $3 coupons purchased earlier this year will be honored, said Doug Richards, chairman of the transit authority's board of directors. He emphasized that the increase is temporary.

But the price increase did not sit well with visitors to the Cape Girardeau Senior Center, all of whom use their own cars for the time being.

"I think $5 to ride one way would be too much. I would only use it under dire circumstances," said Joan Masters, though she added that a cross-county trip for $5 was "worth it."

People older than 65 and those with disabilities use the coupons to ride anywhere in the county. The remaining cost of the ride is paid for through a grant from the county's senior citizens board, which started the program with a $45,000 grant last year. The senior board agreed to give another $45,000 for coupons this year and supplemented that with an additional $15,000 in July, after Mogelnicki announced the program would run out of money by August.

Since that time, Mogelnicki said, he added $10,000 from the transit authority's general fund to extend the program, but that the funds were completely used up by Wednesday. On Thursday, he said the cost of subsidizing rides for the rest of the year could top $10,000.

More funding in January

He asked the board to agree to raise prices for just November and December. In January, he expects to have 2009 funding from the Cape Girardeau senior citizens services fund board, he said. This year, the transit authority received $60,000.

Dale Rauh, chairman of the senior board, said he was not aware of the transit authority's decision to raise coupon prices or that the funds were gone.

This close to the year's end, he said, "I doubt seriously our board would consider giving them more funding."

The senior citizens board begins reviewing 2009 budget requests during the second week of November, he said. Each year, the senior board gives about $500,000 in grants. He said the transit authority was the first to submit a grant application for 2009, but some budget documents were missing.

"We certainly want to know what are their expenses and where it is going, so we can get a handle on it," he said.

Rauh said he receives monthly statements from the transit authority indicating how many coupon rides were provided and the cost of each ride above the coupon price.

"According to their accounting and sales, ridership has remained constant," he said. While the Southeast Missouri Area Agency on Aging does annual external audits of the $63,900 it gives to the transit authority, Rauh said the all-volunteer senior board relies on the county auditor's office for such work.

He also said transportation is a consistent focal point in community surveys and that the cost of a ride is a critical factor.

"There's another transportation program in town, Gold Leaf, that charges a lot lower rate. They're young, they're new and only time is going to tell if they can continue at that rate," he said. "I would question whether our board would consider funding the transit authority more."

Two county commissioners weighed in on the move after their regularly scheduled meeting Thursday. The county commission this year gave the transit authority $70,000 -- $40,000 for debt retirement and $30,000 for operations.

First District Commissioner Larry Bock took in the new coupon rates and shrugged.

"If they feel like they need to, that's fine with me," he said.

Proposed budget

Second District commissioner Jay Purcell said he did not want to question an independent board without knowing the full extent of the budget, but "they're going to have to find a way to provide economical transportation for people on a fixed income ... No one likes to see increase on prices, especially on a group we know is on a fixed income."

Richards, who reminded his board members and transit authority officials to comply with Sunshine Law requirements regarding financial records, said he is checking to see what the transit authority must do to comply with state laws regarding the temporary coupon price increase.

He said the transit authority would pay the difference above the $5 coupons for the rides.

Mogelnicki is scheduled to present the transit authority's proposed 2009 budget to the county commission at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 27. The transit authority board of directors is scheduled to meet again at 7 a.m. Dec. 18.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

388-3646

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