Republic file photo ColumBUS’ 29-foot transit buses feature the city’s iconic Dancing C’s images.
The ColumBus Transit Department has requested funds to help with overtime expenses.
Columbus City Council passed the first reading of an ordinance to appropriate $99,500 from the transit non-reverting fund on Tuesday. Ordinances require two readings to be approved; the council’s next meeting is Sept. 6.
City Director of Finance, Operations and Risk Jamie Brinegar said that $10,000 of that amount is to help the department’s overtime budget.
“Transit is really struggling with part-time hiring, and so they’re using a lot of overtime,” he said.
According to the city’s online job bank, there are positions available for both full-time and part-time bus drivers. The hourly rates for full-time range from $15.60 to $19.50; part-time rates range from $13.86-$16.83.
The other $88,500 in the appropriation is made up of encumbered funds from 2021 that were overlooked when the city moved the department’s budget into the transit non-reverting fund earlier this summer.
In July, the city approved a $2,516,040 appropriation from the transit non-reverting fund. Per the approved ordinance, the city recently learned from the Federal Transit Authority that transit expenditures have to be recorded through an accrual accounting system. This is necessary so that the city can continue receiving federal funds, Brinegar said at the time.
“In order to do that, we already have established a Transit Non-Reverting Fund,” he said. “What we will do is appropriate the operating budget that we had within our general fund into this nonreverting fund so that the clerk-treasurer’s office can work on the accrual accounting that is now being required of us for the transportation dollars.”
The $2.5 million appropriation included the general fund operating budget, as well as funds to cover fuel and one-time cost of living adjustment payments to employees.
