DART reviewing service levels, reductions in staffing for 2011-12

Written by jrood

As part of an ongoing agency-wide financial review, members of the DART Board of Directors will consider modifications in levels of transit service beginning with fiscal year 2012. Potential changes will also be accompanied with a reduction in staffing throughout the organization.

Service levels for 2011
have already been mostly set with the December 6 completion of the Green Line
light rail and scheduled bus service changes.

Budget adjustments are
being considered throughout the agency with a target of lowering expenses
between $30 and $60 million by the beginning of fiscal year 2012. Additional
sales tax information will be collected over the next nine to 12 months before
decisions are made about the final budget target for fiscal year 2012. The
level of budget adjustments will vary by operating mode and from department to
department according to agency activities.

The number of positions
eliminated also will vary by department. The potential number of eliminated
positions ranges from 300 to 600. This reduction would come from a projected FY
2012 employment level of approximately 4,000 positions. Positions will be
reduced through a combination of approaches including attrition, elimination of
vacant jobs where possible, early retirement and voluntary separation. Layoffs
would be after the other approaches were put in place and only if they did not
produce the required number of position reductions. Those programs are still
being reviewed and have not been developed. Staff adjustments would be made
over a two-year period beginning in 2011.

In March, DART reported
projections of lower than expected sales tax receipts. In addition to requiring
adjustments in current service levels the long-term sales tax projections (for
fiscal years 2012 and beyond) will also have a significant impact on the
ability of the agency to undertake future expansion projects. Updated 20-year
sales tax projections show DART receiving approximately $3 billion less in sales
tax income than the amount projected as recently as May 2009. However, all
estimates confirm DART will be able to continue the routine replacement of
fleet vehicles and maintain a state of good repair for its current facilities
and those under construction.

More than 75% of the
agency’s income is from the collection of the one-percent sales tax in each of
the 13 cities served by DART. Anticipated sales tax receipts for fiscal year
2010 are expected to be between $13 and $15 million below the original estimate
of $387.8 million.

The DART Rail Green Line,
and the Lake Highlands Station on the Blue Line, will open as scheduled in
December 2010. The Blue Line extension from Garland to Rowlett will open as
scheduled December 2012. The first two sections of the Orange Line from
northwest Dallas to Irving are scheduled to open in 2012.

DART’s budget includes
capital spending, operations and debt service. The board is scheduled to review
a draft fiscal year 2011 capital budget during the June 22 meeting and draft
operations and debt service budgets at the July 13 meeting. Final budget
approval is expected September 28.

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