Claremont
The council did not discuss the request but promised Manning an answer in December.
The bus service, which runs primarily in Claremont but also has routes to Ch
Manning made it clear that SCS would not run the program if it could not secure the funding to cover an operating deficit of $60,000.
“The mandate from my board is this needs to carry itself,” said Manning, who was joined by Keith Thibault, SCS’s Chief Development Officer. “We need to figure out how to get funding and if we can’t get funding we will be back where we were (with no bus service).”
Manning presented a budget for the current fiscal year ending June 30 that had $450,000 in contracted revenues including the Department of Transportation and Medicaid. Expenses totaled $617,159 leaving a net loss of $166,747. Other revenues, including contributions from Sullivan County ($25,000), Newport ($5,000), Charlestown ($14,000) and fares ($30,000) brought in $107,500 resulting in the $60,000 shortfall. Claremont does not contribute to the operation and Manning said he hopes that changes.
“We have to find a way to make it work and part of that is finding support across the board from all communities,” Manning said. “We can’t operate if we can’t fill the gap as it stands now. Our hope is everyone pays what people think is their fair share.”
Thibault said 80 percent of the riders are from Claremont. Both Manning and Thibault said the downfall under the Alliance was brought on by mismanagement and a failure to obtain sufficient local support as well as operating just one program.
Asked by councilor Nick Koloski about businesses contributing, Manning said that is part of a long-term plan to grow the transportation system but for now, they want to close the operating deficit.
“Our goal is to grow, strengthen and broaden the service,” Manning said.
He told the council they have to know by January that the funding will be there.
“The board made it clear it is not operating the program if we can’t get the funding,” he said.
Manning said they plan to ask the county to double its contribution to $50,000 and Newport double its as well to $10,000. In Newport, the money has been appropriated through approval of a warrant article at the
Town Meeting in March. Claremont’s budget cycle begins July 1 but it could spend money from its fund balance.
When SCS began looking at taking over the program, Manning said they learned from conversations with state officials and others that many depended on the service to get to medical appointments, shopping and jobs.
“The message was this was a program important to everyone in the community,” Manning said. “It is very important economically. Our goal is how to make this work where the Alliance struggled.”
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
