City council confronts bus company
GLTC asked to prove $100,000 funding request
After the Greater Lynchburg Transit Company (GLTC) expressed its need for financial help, City Council met Sept. 27 to review its request of $100,000. By the end of the meeting, GLTC did not leave with money, but with a huge assignment.
On hold — City Council denied GLTC’s request for financial help until the company could show how the money would be used. Photo credit: Jessica Shadel
Before the City Council could make a decision on whether or not to give GLTC $100,000, the council asked the bus company to prove that it deserved the funds.
“It is difficult when GLTC comes to City Council and says it needs $100,000 to balance the books…,” Councilman Michael Gillette said at the meeting. “It’s very difficult to take that seriously, because this is not the first time that y’all have asked for this.”
First, City Council asked the GLTC to not cut anymore bus routes in the next two weeks and asked them to give a report of what the $100,000 would be used for, as well as quarterly reports that showed GLTC’s structural deficit over time, along with its most recent audit.
The company was also asked to define what would happen if the funds were denied.
Prior to the meeting, GLTC had already made some budget cuts. According to the GLTC Board of Directors, they have already cut some administrative spending and have ended the night bus service an hour early. Other changes include increasing the monthly bus pass from $45 to $60 and raising the price of a single ticket from $1.50 to $2.
When bus passengers heard of the changes, they collected 60 signatures for a petition asking City Council for financial help.
A member of GLTC’s customer advisory committee, Sharon Slaughter, attended Tuesday’s meeting in hopes of convincing council to consider the request.
“They (passengers) rely on transit to go to jobs, school, doctor’s appointments and shopping,” Slaughter said. “Many of the passengers have children that need to be taken to daycare. For some, transit is their only option.”
Once GLTC proves that it deserves the $100,000, Gillette said he will be in favor of granting the request.
“I am absolutely in favor of the idea that we need to support GLTC,” Gillette said. “We need to make GLTC work and we need to find a way over the long haul, not just this physical year, but over the long run to make GLTC an effective and efficient program. And I truly don’t think that could happen without subsidy.”
On the other hand, Councilman H. Cary is offended that some of the bus company’s board members suggested that the city is failing at its responsibility to fund GLTC. Cary quoted Matthew 7:3 to express his disappointment.
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” Cary said. “I will not vote to support additional funding.”
The GLTC bus changes will not impact Liberty students as much as other Lynchburg riders.
Night service ends an hour earlier. Student passengers that need to go off campus will have to do so before 9 p.m.
However, according to Tim Spencer, the director of Liberty Transit, as long as students have their Flames pass, they will still be able to board the bus for “free” and will not be affected by the fare increase.