Tulsa Transit expects it will need a budget of roughly $20 million for next fiscal year, which is an increase of 10 percent.
Higher health care and Lift program contractor costs are two big factors for the jump.
"We're up over $1 million just in those two cost centers and so we have some opportunity to offset some of those costs, but we have some needs as well," said Interim General Manager Debbie Ruggles.
Some increased costs will be balanced out by an anticipated $570,000 in rebates for using compressed natural gas.
One priority for fiscal year 2018 will be paying certain employees a competitive wage. A pay study found call takers and some managers aren’t even at the bottom of the market range.
"It's getting harder and harder and harder to hire employees at that when they can go anywhere else and make that kind of money," Ruggles said.
Tulsa Transit expects revenue from bus fares will decline around 3 percent next fiscal year because of low gas prices. The agency does expect its grant revenues to grow by around 12 percent, though.
Tulsa Transit could do away with discount fares in its search for around $1.8 million more dollars. That would increase fixed-route, one-way bus fares between 10 and 50 cents and short-distance Lift fares 50 cents. Altogether, that would net about $75,000.
"That's just one of the things that we're doing to try to show the taxpayers, the city, our constituents, that we're not only asking for additional revenue, but that we're also willing to try to raise soime additional revenue to help offset some of those costs," Ruggles said.
Tulsa Transit will begin receiving its portion of dedicated funding from the Vision sales tax next fiscal year. The agency should finalize its budget next month.
