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Budget & Financial Info

Budget & Financial Information

The Recession's Impact

Community Transit CEO Joyce Eleanor discusses the agency's financial situation and future.

Community Transit budget documents are provided here to give easy access to important information about agency revenues, expenditures and financial status.

2012 Budget

The Community Transit board approved the 2012 budget on Dec. 1, 2011.

Recession Forces Reductions

The economic recession has forced Community Transit to plan reductions to our service as part of  the 2012 budget that will protect the agency’s long-term sustainability.

Community Transit staff developed alternatives that accomplish objectives set by Community Transit's board:

  • Reduce service by 20 percent (about 80,000 hours) in February 2012.
  • Preserve ridership and maintain geographic coverage.
  • Increase productivity (riders per hour of service) and reduce subsidy (cost per passenger).

Separately, but in conjunction with the 2012 budget, the Community Transit Board of Directors approved a service plan that kept most commuter routing to Seattle, with fewer trips, and reconfigured the local service network to preserve trip frequency on higher ridership corridors and at peak service hours. This service plan went into effect on Feb. 20, 2012.

Sales Taxes Support Transit

In Washington state, voter-approved sales taxes are the primary funding source for public transportation.

Sales Tax Revenue
2007—$76.6 million
2008—$71.7 million
2009—$62.3 million
2010—$62.5 million
2011—$62.7million (projected)
2012—$63.3 million (projected)
2013—$64 million (projected)

The residents of Snohomish County have voted for transit on many occasions over our 35-year history. Thanks to that support, Community Transit receives 0.9 percent sales tax revenue within our service district, the maximum authorized for transit agencies under state law. That's 9 cents of every $10 purchase. Sales tax revenues usually account for 65 to 70 percent of Community Transit's operating budget. Due to the recession, sales tax collections have dropped about 20 percent since 2007.

As revenues declined, the agency took steps to balance the budget:

  • Raised fares in 2008 and 2010.
  • Eliminated Sunday, major holiday and other bus service, totaling a 37 percent cut.
  • Cut 206 staff positions while maintaining the same 3:1 ratio of operations to administration employees.
  • Delayed bus purchases, new projects and programs.
  • Instituted a pay freeze for administrative staff and agreed to by three of four union groups.
  • Encouraged the public to "Buy Local for Transit."

Since 2007, Community Transit has saved $33 million through cost-containment measures. The service and staff cuts in 2012 are designed to resize the company to make it financially sustainable for the future.

The 2012 budget also assumed a fare increase planned for September 2012. Since the budget was adopted, management has agreed to postpone a planned fare increase until February 2013, pending public comment and board approval.

Financial Documents