‘All options’ on table for Citylink’s future

COEUR d’ALENE — Kootenai County commissioners are weighing “all options” for the future of Citylink and putting pressure on city leaders to reconsider an agreement to shoulder more responsibility for public transit services that they turned down last year.

“We’re evaluating the various fiscal impacts, going from hiring more staff to reducing or winding it down significantly,” Commissioner Bruce Mattare told city representatives during Wednesday’s monthly mayors meeting. 

Citylink serves Coeur d’Alene, Dalton Gardens, Hayden, Huetter and Post Falls, with three routes and 81 stops. The program also provides paratransit services for people with ADA-eligible functional limitations that prevent them from using the fixed route buses. There is no fare to ride Citylink buses.  

The transit system is primarily funded by Federal Transit Authority and Idaho Transportation Department grants. The program receives match funds from the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and Kootenai Health, as well as contributions from participating cities. The city of Coeur d’Alene contributes the lion’s share of the municipal funds, about $104,000 this fiscal year, followed by Post Falls, which provides $41,000.  

The Coeur d’Alene Tribe contributes about $250,000 to the program annually. Kootenai County budgeted about $64,000 for public transit for fiscal year 2025, though Commissioner Leslie Duncan said that figure doesn’t reflect the county’s full contributions to Citylink, which include expenses like insurance costs. 

Duncan noted that the methodology used to determine how much each jurisdiction contributes to the program is based “strictly on population” and hasn’t been updated for several years. She proposed that stakeholders create a methodology to “take some of the burden off county taxpayers who do not have any stops within the county.” 

“I still believe it is a good program and county residents still can benefit, even though there’s no county stops,” she said. 

Leon Duce, Rathdrum’s city administrator, disagreed with some of Duncan’s comments. 

“Every stop is within the county,” he said. “Every citizen in this county, whether they’re in the city or outside the city, pays an equal share of county property taxes. I don’t want that to be forgotten in this discussion.” 

Troy Tymesen, city administrator for Coeur d’Alene, noted that commissioners have repeatedly put off deciding whether to accept federal grant money to replace paratransit vehicles nearing the end of their useful life. 

Administered through the Idaho Transportation Department, the grant makes federal resources available to replace, rehabilitate and purchase buses and related equipment to support public transportation in rural areas. If accepted, Kootenai County would receive $396,000 and contribute $99,000 in match funds. The matter last came before commissioners in February. 

“Is that going to be decided upon before we get through this formula or is one teeter-tottered against the other?” Tymesen asked. “How would I look at that as a city that’s contributing over $100,000 to Citylink on an annual basis?” 

Duncan said the decision rests with her fellow commissioners. 

“I haven’t been against that particular grant,” she said. “Is that something the board would consider approving in order to keep the flow going?” 

In response, Mattare again floated the idea of a joint powers agreement for Citylink that would give cities more responsibility over the county program. Last fall, city leaders declined the agreement, indicating they were satisfied with their current level of involvement and the county’s management of public transit. 

“We are two commissioner votes away from connecting to Spokane and we’re two commissioner votes away from changing the service levels,” Mattare said. “If anyone is serious about providing transit services to their constituents, I would highly encourage them to at least revisit, reconsider, the idea of a joint powers agreement.” 

After the meeting, Mattare told The Press that his position as board chair and a swing vote on transit matters can complicate decision making. 

“The issue is people look at me because I cast the deciding vote and so, therefore, I’m either the good guy or the bad guy,” he said. 

Mattare said his preference is for cities to shoulder more of the burden for transit services and, in turn, have a bigger stake. 

“I believe there should be a joint powers agreement,” he said. “This is the consequence of (the county) backstopping (Citylink).”