Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Coree Cuff Lonergan
Department: Transportation
Information
Requested Action
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MOTION TO NOTE FOR THE RECORD certifications, disclosures, and documentation by the Broward County Transportation Department (“BCT”) required by House Bill 1301 (2024) regarding budgeted and general administrative costs, salaried executive management-level employee compensation, ridership performance and metrics, and gifts accepted in exchange for contracts and to certify that Broward County Transit’s ratio of administrative costs to operating costs of 16.42% falls below the Tier 1 state average of 24.05% based on the most recent closed out National Transit Database (NTD) Fiscal Year 2023 data.
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Why Action is Necessary
HB 1301 (2024) requires that beginning November 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, each public transit provider, during a publicly noticed meeting, certify that its budgeted and general administrative costs are no greater than 20% above the state average for a Tier 1 provider (owns, operates or manages 101 or more transit vehicles during peak service) based on the most recent closed out NTD data.
What Action Accomplishes
Provides information regarding changes to Chapter 341, Florida Statutes, resulting from HB1301 (2024) and certifies that BCT’s ratio of administrative costs to operating costs are no greater than 20% above the state average for a Tier 1 Transit provider. BCT’s ratio is 16.42% and is below the state average of 24.05% for NTD Fiscal Year 2023.
Goal Related Icon(s)
☐County Commission
☐Go Green
☐MAP Broward
Previous Action Taken
None.
Summary Explanation/Background
THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) provides Broward County, as a public agency providing public transit service, annual funding (Block Grant) in the form of a Public Transit Grant Agreement (PTGA), pursuant to Chapter 341, Florida Statutes, for assistance in funding operations for Broward County Transportation Department’s (BCT) fixed-route bus service. BCT also receives FDOT PTGAs for assistance in funding operations for its 95, 595, and 75 Commuter Express Bus routes. As a requirement of FDOT’s Block Grant, BCT is required to annually provide ridership performance and metrics based on the most recent closed-out National Transit Database (NTD) data to FDOT and to publish those metrics in the newspaper.
House Bill 1301 (2024) made changes to Chapter 341, Florida Statutes, regulating public transit. The amended law requires that beginning on November 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, BCT must certify during a publicly noticed meeting that its budgeted and general administrative costs (i.e., costs related to transit service development, injuries and damages, safety, personnel administration, legal services, data processing, finance and accounting, purchasing and stores, engineering, real estate management, office management and services, customer service, promotion, market research, and planning) are not greater than 20% above the annual state average for a “Tier 1 provider” (as defined in 49 C.F.R. part 625). BCT is a “Tier 1 provider” as it owns, operates, or manages 101 or more vehicles in revenue service during peak regular service across all fixed route modes.
This item notes for the record BCT’s certification that its ratio of budgeted and general administrative costs of 16.42% for Fiscal Year 2023, are below the state average of 24.05% for “Tier 1 providers” (Exhibit 1). HB 1301 also requires that public transit providers present a line-item budget report during the publicly noticed meeting of its budgeted and actual general administrative costs for the previous year. BCT’s Fiscal Year 2024 line-item report is attached as Exhibit 2.
Additionally, HB 1301 requires BCT to post ridership performance and metrics, and disclose all salaried executive management-level employees’ total compensation packages, and any gifts as defined in Florida Statutes 112.312 accepted in exchange for contracts (none) on its website at www.broward.org/bct <http://www.broward.org/bct> under reports and data.
Source of Additional Information
Coree Cuff Lonergan, Director, Transportation Department (954) 357-8361.
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
None.