Pace announces schedule of public hearings on proposed 2018 budgetBudget includes proposed fare increase and hiring freeze, but no service cuts
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL - Pace released its schedule of 13 budget public hearings to be held throughout the agency' s six-county service area during the last two weeks in October. The proposed budget is balanced and maintains current service levels, but includes budget balancing actions to address an almost $12 million shortfall caused by a reduction in state support and lagging sales tax revenue. The proposed budget includes a $.25 fare increase on regular fixed route ($.50 on premium routes) and ADA paratransit service fares. See the complete fare table here. Also included is a corporate hiring freeze and other administrative cost-containment measures that will not affect service operations. "These budget balancing actions are not suggested lightly," said Pace Board Chairman Richard Kwasneski." This is Pace's first proposed fare increase since 2009. To keep this proposed increase at a minimum, the Board has asked administrative staff to share the burden with our customers and ensure that the service which gets people to work, school, medical appointments, and other important destinations continues to run uninterrupted." The public hearing schedule is posted here, along with instructions on submitting comments about the budget via e-mail and post. The full budget document will be available after October 11, 2017, on this site, at most public libraries, and at township, city and village offices in the six county Pace region, including Pace's headquarters, located at 550 West Algonquin Road in Arlington Heights. |
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