Submitted By: Tom Duncan
presenter
Presentation By: Tom Duncan
end
Department: Growth Management
FORMAL TITLE:
title
Budget Resolution 2026-101 to amend the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget to accept and appropriate $796,934 in Public Transportation Grant Agreement funds from the Florida Department of Transportation and $808,934 in local matching funds to support the Ocala/Marion County Public Transit System, SunTran, for a total amount of $1,605,868
end
OCALA’S RELEVANT STRATEGIC GOALS:
Operational Excellence, Quality of Place
PROOF OF PUBLICATION:
N/A
body
BACKGROUND:
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) annually provides grant funding to communities that will pay operating assistance of up to 50 percent for fixed-route public transit systems. To be awarded funding, the City of Ocala (City) must enter into a Public Transportation Grant Agreement (PTGA) with FDOT. The City has been awarded $796,934, pending approval of the PTGA, which requires a $796,934 local match. The City and County are contributing a combined additional amount of $12,000 for training and travel that is not reimbursable by the PTGA Agreement.
On September 19, 2023, the City of Ocala and Marion County entered into an Interlocal Agreement establishing their respective funding commitments of local funds to operate SunTran. The Agreement states that the percentages of support between the City of Ocala and Marion County may vary from year to year based on service changes identified in the Transit Development Plan. For Fiscal Year 2026, the percentages will be 75 percent for the City and 25 percent for the County.
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS:
The funding will be used toward the daily operation of the Ocala/Marion County Public Transportation System, SunTran. This includes, but is not limited to, paying RATP Dev to run the daily operations of SunTran, staff salaries for working on the federal and state grants that fund SunTran, fuel for the buses, utilities for the SunTran Administration & Maintenance Facility, and operating supplies.
The FDOT PTGA funds are necessary to operate SunTran.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The city budgeted $606,700 as its local match in account 494-381-000-000-19-38091 in Fiscal Year 2026. Operating expenses are budgeted in accounting string 494-050-451-544-54*.
PROCUREMENT REVIEW:
N/A
LEGAL REVIEW:
This Agreement will be reviewed and approved for form and legality by City Attorney, William E. Sexton.
ALTERNATIVE:
• Approve with Changes
• Table
• Deny
•
BUDGET RESOLUTION 2026-101
A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2025-26 BUDGET TO ACCEPT AND APPROPRIATE $796,934 IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION GRANT AGREEMENT (PTGA) FUNDS FROM THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND $808,934 IN LOCAL MATCHING FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE OCALA/MARION COUNTY PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM, SUNTRAN, FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF $1,605,868
WHEREAS, the FDOT annually provides grant funding to communities that will pay operating assistance up to 50% for fixed route public transit systems; and
WHEREAS, in order to be awarded the funding, the city must enter into a Public Transportation Grant Agreement (PTGA) with FDOT; and
WHEREAS, the City of Ocala will receive $796,934, pending approval of the PTGA, which requires a $796,934 local match; and
WHEREAS, on September 19, 2023, Ocala and Marion County entered into an Interlocal Agreement to establish their respective funding commitments of necessary local funds to operate SunTran; and
WHEREAS, although the percentages of support between the City of Ocala and Marion County may vary from year to year based on service changes identified in the Transit Development Plan, the percentages for FY26 will remain the same at 75% for the City Ocala and 25% for Marion County; and
WHEREAS, the local commitments for this PTGA Grant have been allocated by both the City of Ocala and Marion County in their respective FY26 budgets; and
WHEREAS, the FDOT PTGA funds are necessary to operate SunTran.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OCALA, FLORIDA, duly assembled in regular session,
SOURCE:
091-016-650-544-54-83010 SunTran Grant Match ($606,700)
USE:
091-099-999-541-81-91494 Transfer to SunTran Grant Match $606,700
SOURCES:
494-334-000-000-09-33424 FDOT Mass Transit - Operating $ 796,934
494-381-000-000-19-38091 Contribution from ¾ Mill Road
Improvement Fund $ 606,700
494-337-000-000-07-34350 Mass Transit - Marion County Share $ 202,234
TOTAL $1,605,868
USES:
494-050-451-544-54-12020 SunTran OP - Salaries $ 218,852
494-050-451-544-54-21010 SunTran OP - FICA Taxes $ 14,697
494-050-451-544-54-22012 SunTran OP - DC Retirement $ 14,800
494-050-451-544-54-23010 SunTran OP - Life & Health Insurance $ 31,033
494-050-451-544-54-23030 SunTran OP - Long Term Disability $ 786
494-050-451-544-54-24010 SunTran OP - Workers’ Compensation $ 248
494-050-451-544-54-31020 SunTran OP - Legal Services $ 500
494-050-451-544-54-31099 SunTran OP - Information Technology Allocation $ 6,000
494-050-451-544-54-34010 SunTran OP - Other Services $1,069,163
494-050-451-544-54-40010 SunTran OP - Travel & Per Diem $ 6,000
494-050-451-544-54-41010 SunTran OP - Outside Communication Services $ 3,392
494-050-451-544-54-41099 SunTran OP - Ocala Fiber Network Allocation $ 3,264
494-050-451-544-54-43010 SunTran OP - Utilities $ 14,200
494-050-451-544-54-45099 SunTran OP - Insurance Service Allocation $ 9,450
494-050-451-544-54-46010 SunTran OP - Repair & Maintenance $ 500
494-050-451-544-54-46011 SunTran OP - Fleet Maintenance $ 223
494-050-451-544-54-46012 SunTran OP - Facilities Maintenance $ 6,000
494-050-451-544-54-47000 SunTran OP - Printing $ 7,500
494-050-451-544-54-47099 SunTran OP - Copier Contract Allocation $ 2,500
494-050-451-544-54-49010 SunTran OP - Other Current Charges/Obligations $ 275
494-050-451-544-54-48011 SunTran OP - Promotional Advertising $ 7,500
494-050-451-544-54-52010 SunTran OP - Operating Supplies $ 8,400
494-050-451-544-54-52012 SunTran OP - Small Tools $ 1,000
494-050-451-544-54-52020 SunTran OP - Fuel $ 162,500
494-050-451-544-54-52045 SunTran OP - Software, Subscription Based $ 8,035
494-050-451-544-54-52060 SunTran OP - Equipment $1,000 - $4,999 $ 1,800
494-050-451-544-54-54010 SunTran OP - Subscriptions, Dues, Books $ 1,250
494-050-451-544-54-55010 SunTran OP - Training $ 6,000
TOTAL $1,605,868
This resolution adopted this ______ day of September 2025.
ATTEST: CITY OF OCALA
By: By:
Angel B. Jacobs Kristen M. Dreyer
City Clerk President, Ocala City Council
Approved as to form and legality:
By: _________________________________
William E. Sexton
City Attorney
Reviewed for accounting accuracy & completeness:
By: _________________________________
Peter A. Lee
City Manager