Following the release of its preliminary 2023 budget and a public hearing meeting in mid-November, Jefferson Transit is set to vote whether or not to adopt its 2023 budget in its upcoming Dec. 20 Transit Authority Board meeting.

The agency anticipates $7.29 million in revenue, and expects $6.86 million in operating expenses.

The majority of revenue — $5.4 million — will be coming from taxes, with other funds arriving from federal grants and contributions, non-transportation revenues, and local grants and contributions.

Labor costs, benefits, services and user fees, utilities, and other expenses drove up Jefferson Transit’s expected costs for 2023.

Overall, Jefferson Transit expects to gain a net $439,000 in funds for 2023, according to the preliminary budget.

The anticipated net income for 2023 is a $2.17 million decrease compared to last year’s numbers, primarily due to the transit authority having a 52.5 percent decrease in state grants and contributions for the coming year.

Regarding capital projects, Jefferson Transit will continue reducing vehicle emissions from its fleet, with an overall goal of a zero-emission fleet.

“Transitioning toward a zero-emission fleet is a central goal in Jefferson Transit’s Long Range Plan,” the budget notes.

Other capital goals for the transit authority include expanding Jefferson Transit’s vehicle maintenance bay facilities, design work and permitting for the planned facilities maintenance building, and applying for a Bus and Bus Facilities Grant for the maintenance building project.

Work on the new facilities maintenance building, located on Four Corners Road, is expected to begin in fall 2023.

For service, routes, and ridership, Jefferson Transit saw a slight increase in ridership compared to 2021, reaching 75 percent of pre-pandemic ridership levels, and 60 percent for transit services in the western portion of Jefferson County, according to budget documents.

While the buses are seeing more use, the transit authority continues to struggle with recruiting new employees.

“Recruitment has been an ongoing challenge for Jefferson Transit and is expected to continue into 2023,” the budget notes. “Potentially three department head positions, and three represented and non-represented administrative positions to be filled.”

The transit group anticipates 50.77 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in 2023, which is a decrease from 2022’s 52.6 FTE numbers.