WA: Link Transit roundup: Preliminary budget, new buses and contingency funds

The Link Transit Board of Directors held its regular monthly meeting Tuesday and discussed several items on its agenda, including the 2026 preliminary budget, the purchase of electric buses and the ongoing bus garage construction.

Find a full recording of the meeting here.

Link Transit's preliminary budget estimates a growing reserve of funds in its general funds as revenues exceed expenses in 2026.

Link Transit maintains and operates the Chelan, Douglas counties public transit system and creates a yearly budget for the organization's finances.

For the next year, Link Transit estimates generating $42.1 million in revenues, about 4% more in revenues than the previous year. Expenses grew by nearly 12% from the previous year, totaling an estimated $33.6 million.

An additional $8.4 million is being added to Link Transit's cash reserves in its general fund.

The majority of its revenue, more than 70%, is collected from the portion of the sales tax Link Transit collects in the two-county area, an estimated 5.5% increase is anticipated in 2026 over the 2025 projection.

Electric buses and chargers

The Link Transit Board of Directors approved the purchase of four 40-foot electric buses and five chargers for an amount not to exceed $5.8 million.

The buses and charges are being purchased from BYD/RIDE, an American subsidiary of the Chinese manufacturer.

Link Transit received a state Department of Transportation grant for $3.4 million, which will reimburse about half of the total cost of this purchase.

The chargers are anticipated to arrive in October 2026, and the four buses before March 2027.

Bus garage contingency funds

Link Transit staff discussed with the Department of Revenue and found that a portion of their multi-million construction project for a new bus garage in Olds Station would not qualify with a previously believed tax exemption under state law.

Staff estimates an anticipated $150,000 in sales tax for the project. The Link Transit Board of Directors authorized an $100,000 increase in contingency funds for the project.

The bid amount to Rimmer & Roeter was a total $13.4 million. The $100,000 increase to the project's contingency fund is still expected to "come close under the approved budget," according to an action agenda item report.

Construction is expected to be completed in late November or December this year.

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