.jpg)
HARTINGTON – Cedar County Commissioners approved the two-year budget of more than $1.9 million for the county transit system.
A public hearing was held but no one attended at the board’s regular meeting last week. The agenda was packed with regular reports, discussion and action items with the meeting lasting almost four hours.
Even though the overall budget increased from the 2023-25 numbers, Cedar County’s portion will be less due to the Transit taking other payment sources such as sponsored rides from Medicaid and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, which serves as part of its local match.
Transit budget increases - about 15 percent from the 2023-25 budget - will allow for the hiring of more staff, and accounts for higher vehicle maintenance costs, said Transit Manager Nikki Pinkelman.
“We were not able to get much for new vehicles, so vehicle maintenance is going to be more expensive,” she said.
The county’s portion of the Cedar County Transit comes in at $203,627 to support the 2025-27 budget. The transit’s budget is also supported by Knox County - $61,200 - because the Transit operates into that county by 30 miles, and federal and state funding programs.
For its operating costs - driver salary, fuel and oil - are paid by the Federal Transit Authority by 50 percent, while the state pays 25 percent and the county 25 percent. For non-operating expenses like office staff and other transit expenses, is reimbursed by the Federal Transit Administration at 80 percent, the state at 10 percent, and the county at 10 percent.
Pinkelman said federal funding remains stable with the change in administration.
“When you look at public transportation, we are just one piece in a giant puzzle,” she said. “There’s public transportation. We just drive minivans, you look across the U.S.and that’s subways, railcars, taxi services and rail car ... so public transportation is a lot of different things, and it’s all funded under the same umbrella.”
Cedar County Transit’s operating cost per hour is about $33, while other similar-sized agencies is at about $42 per hour.
Rider fares make up the largest portion of the Transit’s income with an estimated $118,00 coming from contract fares; $115,000 from private rider fares, and an additional estimated $12,000 from sponsored fares, such as those paid by a nursing homes and doctors offices.
