Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority to raise cost of senior coupons

Starting Nov. 1, 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. People over 65 years old 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.

He asked the board to agree to raise prices for just November and December. In January, he expects to have 2009 funding from the senior board, he said.

Calls to Dale Rauh, chairman of the county senior board, have not been answered.

But 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.

Looking grim, 1st District commissioner Larry Bock heard the news and shrugged.

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

Second District commssioner 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."

Transit authority board chairman Doug 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 coupon price increase.

Mogelnicki said he expects the the increase to go into effect on Nov. 1.

He is scheduled to present the transit authority's proposed 2009 budget to the county commission at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 27.

For more on this story, revisit www.semissourian.com or see Friday's Southeast Missoruian.