ATA Bus is asking for $260,000 in funding for 2018 from Geary County, the same total funded by the County this year.

Ben Bennett, Geary County Commission Chairman, released the information, and he also had a message. “For those who are disbelievers I asked her ( Anne Smith ) what’s going on with the aTa financing,and the numbers that she has just presented. Those numbers are authentic and they are audited, and she will stand behind those numbers because she has to sign off to certify federal and state KDOT requirements.”

Bennett said he’s hearing from a lot of people who report that they follow the buses as they travel around and they’re empty. “And she says yes that is true, but the numbers she has presented to us are real. So people are riding the bus. There are some adjustments that will be made after the fiscal year.” The commissioner added that is a federal fiscal year and not a calendar year. Anne Smith serves as the director of aTa Bus.

According to numbers provided at the weekly Geary County Commission meeting there were 12,606 fixed route rides in Junction City and 5,479 demand response rides provided in Geary County by ATA Bus in fiscal year 2017, which ran from July 1, 2016 until April 30, 2017.

The commission has not taken any final action on the budget funding request.