The Avalon City Council on June 18 voted unanimously to increase the commuter book subsidy by $20. The new total: $105 per book, according to City Manager David Maistros. Councilmember Yesenia De La Rosa was absent this week.
The new subsidy begins this July, according to the staff report.
“The important thing is: We never want to leave money on the table with the county, so we want to use this,” said Councilmember Michal Ponce.
That remark prompted chuckles from other council members.
Background
“The City has received $1,000,000 in Proposition A Incentive Funds annually over the last several fiscal years, with $700,000 earmarked for the commuter subsidy program, and $300,000 earmarked of the City’s land transit system,” wrote Finance Director Matthew Baker in his staff report to the council.
“During the current fiscal year, the City made significant changes to its land transit program resulting in savings to its contracted service costs,” Baker wrote.
“For the upcoming fiscal year, the City requested a re-allocation of its Proposition A Incentive Funds to earmark $800,000 for the commuter subsidy program and $200,000 for the land transit system,” Baker wrote.
“The reallocation of Proposition A Incentive Fund would cover the costs associated with the proposed $20 $20 per commuter book subsidy increase without requiring any further subsidy from the General Fund,” Baker wrote.
