By Howard Packowitz
NORMAL – The working group studying public transit’s future in Bloomington-Normal won the backing of Normal’s Town Council in a unanimous vote, but the discussion at Monday night’s meeting included criticism of recent Connect Transit board actions.
Addressing the council, mayoral hopeful Marc Tiritilli said the son of Connect Transit trustee Julie Hile should not have been named to the working group because he’s too close to someone who’s been involved in making bad decisions. Hile’s son has a disability and is dependent on Connect Transit service. Working members and trustees are not paid for their service.
Tiritilli also blasted the decision to hire a professional facilitator to guide the working group at a cost of up to $53,425. That money could be better spent on giving every full-fare Connect Mobility rider free rides for a year, according to Tiritilli.
Mayor Chris Koos described Hile’s son, Dylan Hile-Broad, as a “very outspoken and thoughtful man.” Koos said it’s unfair to pre-judge the group before it finishes its job.
Town council member Karyn Smith voted for the resolution supporting the working group, but she believes the transit board is moving too quickly on buying large, electric-powered buses. Koos noted the electric buses don’t come from local funds.
“There really is no expense for the electric buses. Those are funded completely by a federal grant, so it’s a budget-neutral item for Connect Transit,” the mayor said.
Council member Smith responded “Well, it may be a budget-neutral item for Connect Transit, but the tax dollars come out of our pockets whether they’re federal dollars that fund those grants or local tax expenditures.”
The resolution encourages the working group to come up with common sense solutions to serve transit-dependent riders, while also finding ways to attract potential passengers who have a choice whether to ride the bus.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
