The Denton County Transportation Authority’s budget for fiscal year 2024–25 was approved in August, with an increase in operating expenses compared to the previous year’s budget.

The essentials

The board approved the budget during its Aug. 22 meeting. It goes into effect Oct. 1, with $51.9 million allocated for expenses and $64.2 million for revenue. The board also approved $24.9 million for capital improvement projects and major maintenance.

Budgeted expenses include $12.4 million for bus operations, a 6.1% increase over the fiscal year 2023-24 budget, and $16.3 million for rail, a decrease of about 1.6% from last year. The agency’s budget for mobility services such as GoZone and Collin County Rides was set at $13.3 million, a decrease of about 1.2% from last year.

What else?

The budget also calls for the creation of five new positions, bringing the total number of funded positions to 142, after the agency acquired employees from the North Texas Mobility Corporation earlier this summer.

New positions:

• Service Design and Performance Manager
• Specialist in project management
• HR Manager
• Bus Operations Manager (two positions)

On the other hand, two vacant positions in marketing are to be eliminated, according to an employee presentation.

Also interesting

Approximately $24.9 million is earmarked for investments in improving and maintaining the DCTA’s transportation system. Approximately $3.6 million will be transferred to the DCTA’s capital reserve fund for future maintenance projects.

The remaining funds will be spent on various projects, including:

• Purchase of new bus vehicles
• Extensive rail maintenance
• Improvements in the fiber optic network
• Implementation of a new project management software