Photo Credit: Blake Aued
Athens Transit buses will run on Sundays if the Athens-Clarke County Commission approves Mayor Nancy Denson’s 2016 budget—at least for a year.
Athens for Everyone got its wish. Denson’s proposed $113 million budget, released today, includes $293,000 for Sunday bus service (not including another $71,000 in anticipated farebox revenue).
Sunday buses would run from 8 a.m.–10 p.m., similar to the Saturday schedule.
Denson said Sunday service will be reviewed before it is continued in future years.
The budget also includes $100,000 to continue equipping police officers with body cameras, $675,000 to staff the Clarke County Jail, where an expansion is scheduled for completion in the fall and $1.7 million to fund 2 percent raises for county employees.
The proposed budget is up 4 percent from last year due to the improving economy, increased sales tax collections and rising property values. No tax hikes are proposed.
Work sessions and public hearings on the budget are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, Thursday, May 14 and (if needed) Thursday, May 21 at the Dougherty Street government building. Commissioners will also take comments on and discuss the budget at the Tuesday, May 19 agenda-setting meeting, and vote on it Tuesday, June 2.
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