St. Louis Metro responds to impact of Missouri budget cuts

St. Louis Metro has received notice from the Missouri State Budget Director that the remaining balance of the $12-million emergency appropriation approved in the last legislative session will not be disbursed to the Agency by the State of Missouri.

"Metro has
closely monitored the budget debates in Jefferson City over the last several
months and we have been in discussions with our St. Louis legislative
delegation," said Metro President and CEO Robert J. Baer. "We understand that
the state’s precarious budget situation has put many important services at
risk, and that public transit is among them.

"While we
are disappointed, we are not surprised that the State will not be able to make
the final $4-million payment of the $12 million emergency appropriation that
Metro has been using to restore a large portion of the transit services cut in
March 2009," Baer added. "Our Missouri state elected officials helped bridge a
serious funding gap and made it possible for thousands who rely on transit to continue
to get to work and other important destinations over the past year. On their
behalf we would like to express our appreciation to Governor Jay Nixon and the
Missouri Legislature."

New revenue
from the passage of Proposition A on April 6 will not flow to Metro Transit
until the fall of this year. Metro has been reviewing options that will allow
the agency to maintain the current level of service and move forward with
service restoration as planned. "We will not delay service restoration," Baer
said. "The region’s citizens have clearly demonstrated their desire to preserve
and grow public transit options across our community, and we will deliver."

Strategies
being considered to keep that commitment include:

• Not
filling open positions that are not operator, mechanic and front line
supervisor vacancies critical to service restoration


• Continue
to keep a tight rein on non-personnel expenses


• Delay
capital projects and expenditures, thereby delaying the outlay of the local
matching funds


• Consider
accepting $1.8-million loan offered in 2009 from St. Clair County executive
Mark Kern and the St. Clair County Transit District. Metro did not move forward
with executing the loan in 2009 because of Missouri’s emergency appropriation

"It’s obvious
we are living in very challenging economic times," Baer said. "But thanks to
the decision made by St. Louis County voters on April 6, our community will be
able to restore and preserve public transit services that will actually help
strengthen our local economy by preserving access to jobs, promoting tourism
and encouraging business development."