Submitted By: Tom Duncan
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Presentation By: Tom Duncan
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Department: Growth Management
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FORMAL TITLE:
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Budget Resolution 2027-101 to amend the Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget to accept and appropriate $837,458 in Public Transportation Grant Agreement funds from the Florida Department of Transportation, $788,775 in matching funds from the City of Ocala, $210,865 in matching funds from Marion County, and $220,000 in program income to support the Ocala/Marion County Public Transit System, SunTran, for a total amount of $2,057,098
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OCALA’S RELEVANT STRATEGIC GOALS:
Fiscally Sustainable, Operational Excellence
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PROOF OF PUBLICATION:
N/A
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BACKGROUND:
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) provides annual 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) entered into a Public Transportation Grant Agreement (PTGA) with FDOT. The City has been awarded $837,458, pending approval of the PTGA, which requires a local match of $843,458. The City and County are contributing a combined additional $6,000 for training and travel that the PTGA Agreement does not reimburse.
On September 19, 2023, the City of Ocala and Marion County entered into an interlocal agreement establishing their respective local funding commitments 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 2026-27, the percentages will be 75 percent for the City and 25 percent for the County.
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS:
The funding will support the daily operation of the Ocala/Marion County Public Transportation System, SunTran. This includes, but is not limited to, paying RATP Dev to run SunTran's daily operations, staff salaries for work on the federal and state grants...
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