BROOKSVILLE — Hernando County commissioners voted 3-2 Sept. 22 to keep paying for two new TheBus routes. Before the vote, several commissioners asked whether the county can afford the routes, and the board scheduled a January review that could lead to cuts.
Commissioners Ryan Amsler and Steve Champion voted no.
The vote approves a $1.76 million amendment to the county’s contract with RATP Dev USA Inc., which operates TheBus. The amendment covers Routes 10 and 11, which have been running since May, along with paratransit service on both routes. It is paid for with a federal grant and the county’s ninth-cent gas tax. The county’s match is about $948,000, said Carla Rossiter-Smith, the county’s director of procurement and strategic initiatives.
At the board’s first meeting in January, commissioners will discuss ridership, routes and whether to continue any or all of them.
Ridership on the new routes has been light. A monthly transparency report showed 763 riders on Route 10 and 245 on Route 11 from May through August. Both routes run six days a week.
“In our current fiscal climate, does it make sense?” Amsler asked.
The amendment adds an estimated $53,300 a month in fixed-route fees and about $16,100 a month for paratransit service on the two routes. It also includes a one-time startup fee of nearly $76,000. With the new routes, the county’s monthly cost for fixed-route and paratransit service comes to about $433,400, or roughly $5.2 million a year. Spending for fiscal 2026, which ends Sept. 30, is estimated at about $4.75 million because the new routes did not run the full year.
Public Works Director Scott Herring said the routes were part of the transit development plan approved by the commission and the Metropolitan Planning Organization. He promised to review in the coming fiscal year whether they still make sense.
Darlene Lollie, the county’s transit administrator, said Route 10 runs a loop from the Publix at County Line Road and Mariner Boulevard. Route 11 runs along U.S. 19 to Citrus County, which she described as a fast-growing part of the county. Because the routes are new, she said, many people may still be learning about them.
County Administrator Jeff Rogers said many apartment complexes are going up along Route 10, and their residents will need transit to reach shopping areas. The same is true along Route 11, he said.
Rogers also acknowledged that other routes may need to be cut. Revenue from the ninth-cent gas tax may decline, he said, and the county will have to find a way to pay for transit or scale back expansion. He recommended approving the contract now and working out the rest later.
Amsler, who had asked “When does it end?” about government spending during an earlier discussion of affordable housing, raised the same question about transit. Chairman Jerry Campbell noted that ridership may be heavier on some days than others.
“We will have to look at this eventually,” Champion said. He compared the situation to the county’s earlier review of recycling. Several counties have shut down their transit systems, he said, and fares bring in very little revenue.
Campbell suggested delaying the contract pending a broader discussion. Rossiter-Smith said the board must approve the spending before staff can operate the routes, and the county cannot simply stop the service without paying the contractor. She recommended approving the amendment as written, on the condition that staff return with a plan for reducing service. The contract can be amended later, she said, although some service changes would require public notice and a chance for public comment.
Commissioner John Mitten supported approving the amendment and then discussing whether to eliminate the routes. Commissioner John Allocco agreed and asked that the discussion be scheduled for the board’s first January meeting.
During public comment, Gerry Whitted, a member of the Metropolitan Planning Organization, said he rides both the bus and paratransit. He said the service is essential to the quality of life of riders like him.
In other action
The commission approved the purchase of equipment for the West Hernando Branch Library, which remains on schedule to reopen after repairs.
Commissioners voted 5-0 on a resolution allowing golf carts to operate between sunset and sunrise on designated county roads in High Point.
John Martin Sr. was appointed as an alternate member of the Planning & Zoning Commission through Dec. 31.
The commission approved proclamations naming September National Service Dog Month, Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 Hispanic Heritage Month, October Florida Manufacturing Month and Italian American Heritage Month, and Oct. 4-10 Fire Prevention Week.