Save The JO – Videos #4 and #5 Interviews with Johnson County Commissioners
Posted by Transit Action Network on July 22, 2012
Johnson County Commissioners Eilert and Peterson spoke with Transit Action Network about the eliminations and reductions proposed for January 2013 to The JO.
The commissioners have very different views on:
- the role of transit in Johnson County
- how to fund transit
- how to respond to citizens’ vision for multi-modal transportation, sustainability and a better environment
- the County’s commitment to the working poor who need The JO to get to work
Can Johnson County afford a small commuter transit system only if it is heavily subsidized by federal and state funds? We wouldn’t expect that to be the case from one of the richest counties in America*. It is the loss of federal and state funds, and the Commission’s current failure to replace those funds, that is causing the severe budget problems that will mainly hit in 2014.
One way to deal with the loss of the federal and state money is to eliminate and reduce most of the transit routes in Johnson County over a couple of years. The other way is to get the money and keep the transit.
Everyone from JCT staff to Commissioner Eilert said they are proposing cuts in 2013 so they don’t have such large cuts in 2014. Unless Johnson County changes direction, they aren’t done shrinking the transit system. They say they trying to ease in the cuts to lessen the negativity that would result from doing it all at once in 2014.
Timeline for eliminations and reductions: 2012 Service reductions and modifications 2013 Proposed route eliminations (45% of all routes gone) and service reductions (45% of routes modified) 2014 Expect significant additional eliminations and/or reductions based on comments by staff and Commissioner EilertPlease let the Board of County Commissioners know how important The JO is by attending the public hearing. Speakers will be allowed 3 minutes.
Johnson County Board of County Commissioners Public Budget Hearing
July 23rd @ 7 pm
Johnson County Administration Building, 111 S. Cherry, Olathe, KS 66061
If you miss the meeting:
Contact Johnson County Board of County Commissioners
- Phone: 913-715-0430
- Email contact form: http://bocc.jocogov.org/webform/contact-us
Contact Johnson County Transit
- E-mail: Comments@thejo.com
- Mail: Johnson County Transit, 1701 West 56 Highway, Olathe, Kansas 66061
- Phone: 913-715-8255 – record your message
We have numerous blog articles about this issue starting on June 8th with Save The JO – Contact JOCO Commissioners
All of our videos are available on our TAN Videos page.
*Wealthiest Counties in The U.S. (Per Capita Income) based upon income tax returns from the Internal Revenue Service’s Individual Master File (IMF). Johnson County is listed as #42 http://www.amerifound.com/wealthiest_counties_in_america.html
Transit Action Network (TAN) 
Leave a Reply