The Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA) is looking at layoffs and steep budget cuts after recent changes in Medicaid policy saw the group’s net income drop just under $400,000 over the course of two years.
According to documents submitted to the Story County Board of Supervisors, HIRTA is running a deficit of just under $286,000 in the current fiscal year through the end of April in Story County, compared to a surplus of just over $153,000 at the end of fiscal year 2017.
The agency, which provides door-to-door bus rides to the elderly, people with mental and physical disabilities and general public in Story County and six other central Iowa counties, also expects ridership in Story County to decline by 2,400 rides per month, and for Medicaid funding to drop at least 20 percent.
Read the complete article at http://www.amestrib.com/news/20180605/hirta-makes-900000-budget-cut-layoffs-after-drop-in-riders
