The layoffs could amount to hundreds of employees losing their jobs, including mechanics and drivers, and would make it two years in a row the company has downsized staff.
The current gap in income results from RTA's budget's being so dependent on sales and property taxes. With people spending less money, and property values down, General Manager Joe Calabrese says the future is murky.
JOE CALABRESE: "We are projecting based on the first three months of 2009, we will be about $12-13M less than in receipts last year."
Calabrese says rider fares - roughly 20% of RTA income - are steady, and the transit system won't look to increase those. But it may eliminate certain bus routes, based on ridership, alternative routes or whether riders use them to get to their own jobs.
But addressing the issue NOW he says, is the only way to close the impending deficit.
CALABRESE: "We think we can handle some internally, but a $9 million remaining concern - that's going to be a pretty substantial cut, so it's going to affect a lot of people if we have to do it, and that's why we're really really fighting, for the sake of our customers, not to have to do it."
Ironically, the layoffs could come at the same time RTA gets $45 million in federal stimulus money - but that money has to be used for capital improvements... and CANNOT be used for operations.
There is no date set for a final decision.
