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Budget & Financial Info

Budget & Financial Information

Community Transit budget documents are provided here to give easy access to important information about agency revenues, expenditures and financial status.

Community Transit's 2013 Proposed Budget has been presented to the Board of Directors and will come up for final consideration at its Dec. 6 meeting. You can review the proposed budget summary here and view previous years' financial documents below.

Sales Taxes Support Transit

In Washington state, voter-approved sales taxes are the primary funding source for public transportation.

Sales Tax Revenue
2007—$76.6 million
2008—$71.7 million
2009—$62.3 million
2010—$62.5 million
2011—$63.1 million
2012—$63.3 million (projected)
2013—$65 million (proposed)

The residents of Snohomish County have voted for transit on many occasions over our 35-year history. Thanks to that support, Community Transit receives 0.9 percent sales tax revenue within our service district, the maximum authorized for transit agencies under state law. That's 9 cents of every $10 purchase. Sales tax revenues usually account for 65 to 70 percent of Community Transit's operating budget. Due to the recession, sales tax collections have dropped about 20 percent since 2007.

As revenues declined, the agency took steps to balance the budget:

  • Raised fares in 2008 and 2010. A fare increase has also been proposed for February 2013.
  • Eliminated Sunday, major holiday and other bus service, totaling a 37 percent cut.
  • Cut 206 staff positions while maintaining the same 3:1 ratio of operations to administration employees.
  • Delayed bus purchases, new projects and programs.
  • Instituted a pay freeze for administrative staff and agreed to by three of four union groups.
  • Encouraged the public to "Buy Local for Transit."

Since 2007, Community Transit has saved $33 million through cost-containment measures.

Financial Documents