(a) Program establishment: The city manager shall have the authority to establish and implement a city Sun Tran and Sun Link fare subsidy program for low-income individuals, nonprofit program clients that qualify for low-income, and paratransit services for individuals, such program to be administered within the department of transportation and funded exclusively from local city revenues. The city manager shall have further authority to promulgate reasonable rules and regulations, in writing and on file with the city clerk, for the implementation of the fare subsidy program.
(b) Sun Tran and Sun Link system fare subsidy: The Sun Tran and Sun Link system fare subsidy for qualified low-income individuals shall be as follows:
(1) Economy fare subsidy: For riders who qualify for the Sun Tran and Sun Link system economy fare, the subsidies shall be:
FY 2017 | FY 2018 | |
Full Fare (cash) per ride | $1.00 | $1.00 |
Full Fare (stored value) | $0.90 | $0.85 |
Full Fare 30 Day Pass | $27.00 | $25.50 |
Discounted Day Pass, purchased through nonprofit program | $1.75 | $1.95 |
(c) Sun Van fare subsidy: The Sun Van service fare subsidy for qualified low-income individuals shall be as follows:
FY 2017 | FY 2018 | |
Full Fare, per ride | $1.50 | $2.00 |
(d) Eligibility and prohibited activity: Low-income individuals and nonprofit program clients may qualify for the fare subsidy program subject to the following provisions:
(1) Eligibility for Sun Tran, Sun Link and paratransit service low-income fares: Applicants for eligibility to qualify for the Sun Tran, Sun Link and Sun Van systems low-income fare must demonstrate an income that meets the most recent income guidelines per the Lower Living Standard Income Level (LLSIL) (100%) as established by the United States Department of Labor, published annually, in the Federal Register.
(2) Definition of "income": Income shall include any money received by all members of the household. Any form of support or payment in the form of rent, food, automobile or any other assistance shall be counted as income. Wages, public assistance, retirement, disability, pension, veteran's compensation, worker's or unemployment compensation, senior benefits, survivor's benefits, strike benefits, support payments, alimony, scholarships, educational grants, fellowships, veteran's educational benefits, dividends, interest and any other form of income shall be counted to determine eligibility.
(3) Eligibility requirements for persons under eighteen (18) years of age: Persons seeking to qualify for the fare subsidy program of the city who are under the age of eighteen (18) must have a parent or guardian signature on the application, or show good cause why such signature is not obtainable. Good cause shall be within the discretion of the city to determine. If the applicant is not living at home and receives more than half of his or her support from his or her family, the applicant must declare all family income. If the applicant is not living at home and is not receiving more than half of his or her support from his or her family, then only the actual support from the family need be declared.
(4) Unemployed persons: Unemployed persons applying for the fare subsidy program must have a current registration card from the state employment office. Such applicant must report an estimated probable income that falls within the income guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Labor when added to all other family income. Persons unemployed due to strikes, lockouts and labor disputes must count as probable income their wages and wage level as such existed prior to the strike, lockout or other labor dispute that resulted in their being unemployed.
(5) Students: Students not living at home, but who receive more than half of their support from their family must declare all family income. Students not living at home who do not receive more than half their support from their family need only declare the actual amount of support received. Students living at home must declare all family income.
(6) Residency requirement: Applicants for the fare subsidy program for low-income individuals must be residents of the region, an area described in the U.S. Census Bureau's Geographic Base File on file with the city clerk.
(7) Proof of eligibility: The mayor and council hereby authorize the city manager, in conjunction with the director of the department of transportation, to promulgate appropriate forms for application to the program and to establish reasonable standards of proof for eligibility. Such standards shall be in writing, made available to all applicants, and on file with the city clerk. For nonprofit agency clients that qualify, the proof of eligibility requirements stipulating an ID are effective when smart card technology is implemented.
(8) Term of eligibility: Persons eligible for the fare subsidy program shall be deemed eligible from the date of issue of the eligibility identification card for a period of twelve (12) months, unless otherwise found ineligible by the city.
(9) Revocation of eligibility, appeal to the city manager: When, in the opinion of the city, a person is continuing to utilize the benefits of the program and that person no longer meets the eligibility standards set forth herein, the city shall have the authority to revoke that person's eligibility and require that person to surrender his or her identification card to the city. Such notice of revocation shall be in writing, sent to that person by certified mail, registered return receipt, and shall set forth with specificity the reasons for terminating that person's eligibility for the city's fare subsidy program. Any person whose eligibility is revoked by the city shall have the right to appeal the revocation to the city manager within ten (10) days of the date of notice of the revocation.
(10) Misdemeanor for using false information in application for eligibility: It shall be a misdemeanor for any person to knowingly use false information when applying for eligibility for the fare subsidy program.
(Ord. No. 6210, § 2, 4-8-85; Ord. No. 6233, § 3, 5-13-85; Ord. No. 7824, § 2, 6-1-92; Ord. No. 8284, § 4, 5-23-94; Ord. No. 8778, § 3, 11-25-96; Ord. No. 8781, § 3, 11-25-96; Ord. No. 9404, § 3, 6-19-00; Ord. No. 10672, § 1, 6-2-09, eff. 8-1-09; Ord. No. 10887, § 1, 4-12-11, eff. 7-1-11; Ord. No. 11082, § 3, 5-29-13; Ord. No. 11182, § 3, 6-17-14, eff. 7-17-14; Ord. No. 11401, § 1, 9-20-16)