MOUNT VERNON — On Tuesday, representatives of U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno visited the Knox County commissioners to learn about trending topics in Knox County and how Moreno’s team could help.
The commissioners obliged, telling Nick Davis, Central Ohio regional director, and Taylor Armstrong, central regional representative, about transit funding, dropped programs, and subsidies.
Commissioner Drenda Keesee related concerns about the federal funding formula for public transit systems. She specifically noted that more fare revenue decreases federal reimbursement.
“Probably the more important thing is that on our capitalized maintenance expenses, we’ve been waiting since July 2024 to get the money that the federal government says we’re [due],” Commissioner Bill Pursel said.
He explained that Knox County Transit is waiting for a contract that the Biden administration never issued. KCT has slowed vehicle maintenance because it cannot submit expenses for reimbursement without a contract.
“That’s a cash-flow issue there,” he said.
“Our fiscal year starts July 1. We’re getting close to that, and we don’t know what you guys are doing yet,” County Administrator Jason Booth said.
Keessee added, “We don’t know what the impact of DOGE would be to the program as well, so we’re waiting on some of those impacts as well.”
DOGE is the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, headed by Elon Musk.
Knox County transit building
The Federal Transit Administration awarded the county a $6 million grant for a new transit hub two years ago.
“We’ve been on the front burner, back burner, maybe off the burner,” Pursel told the representatives. “It’s been one convoluted thing after another.”
Booth said, “It looked like we would have a contract by the end of January. Now we’re being told that they feel there’s no issues in funding, but to expect a lengthy delay. We don’t know what that means.”
He related the FTA hurdles the county had to address, including two environmental studies, an archeological dig, and details about removing three trees and what will happen to potentially displaced birds.
Booth noted that when the county started the project in 2021, the cost was $8.5 million.
“It’s 2025 now. They’ve delayed and delayed and delayed, and where are we?” Booth said.
Armstrong said many funds sent to state transportation departments were one-time federal funds, although the Biden administration sold them as long-term.
Those funds are now mostly expended, and some transit systems had to cut services.
“Hopefully that’s not the case here,” he said.
“That might be why the administration’s putting these on hold, because they know there might have been some false advertisement about the longevity of these funds, especially if they’re going toward priorities the new administration, and frankly the new Congress, thinks are unworthy.”
Other concerns relayed to Moreno’s team
Pursel asked that DOGE look at Community Action Commissions as it researches government funding.
“One of the things they say is that they help people to better their lives,” he said. “I’m concerned about what I’m seeing on the Community Action Commissions.
“At least the one that represents Knox County is not doing that. They’re just basically helping people stay on the wheel of poverty and not helping them move off of that.”
Pursel told Davis and Taylor about a tri-county pilot program Knox County participated in that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services partially funded.
“The program worked really good, but then it got dropped. I know our people who work here in Knox County, our Job and Family Services, said we’d like to see that program come back to life,” he said.
The POP program (Partners of Ohio Parents) helped families alleviate stress as they went through JFS procedures.
Keesee voiced concern about subsidies for solar and biodigestibles.
“They’re calling it a form of energy, trucking it out, but the smell is horrific and impacting people,” she said of biodigestibles.
“I know they’re putting something forward that says it is not energy and cannot be trucked away, but I’m just raising that for our constituents here and across Ohio that these things are being subsidized by government funding.”
Armstrong acknowledged that solar is a hot topic and said the duo is learning more about biodigestibles.
Davis anticipates that subsidies for alternative energies like solar and wind will decrease under Trump’s administration.
He said Moreno’s take on solar is that the government should not pick winners and losers but let the market determine what is best.
