“We cannot even get anyone to apply,” said Kathryn Pfiffner, the executive director of Pathfinders Strategic Partners, which manages the bus system for the city.

To compound the problems, the Dodger Area Rapid Transit building at First Avenue South and Sixth Street needs some major repairs, including replacement of a 25-year-old roof.

All of these challenges came to light as Pfiffner presented the system’s proposed 2021-2022 budget to the City Council Monday.

She expressed confidence that DART can be rejuvenated.

“I do believe we can grow the system and make it very sustainable,” she said.

Some councilmembers, however, were skeptical.

“It looks to me like you’re going to have to re-evaluate the whole system,” Councilman Terry Moehnke said.

Councilman Jeff Halter said he has “a lot of concerns for the sustainability of this.”

Councilman Dave Flattery said banks would put customers with DART’s situation on a credit watch list.

“This is a real concern,” he said.

The proposed DART budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 is $1,245,431.

The spending plan envisions $1,246,185 in revenue.

Most of that revenue would come from fares, federal assistance and state assistance. The city would provide $262,000 from a property tax levy of 34 cents per $1,000 of taxable value.

Of the city’s contribution, $227,000 would be for operating expenses and $35,000 would be for capital improvements.

“This budget assumes we’re back to full operation,” Pfiffner said.

Loss of riders

In the 2018-2019 fiscal year, the last one before COVID-19 upended so much of American life, DART had 119,660 riders.

During the 2019-2020 fiscal year, which included some of the worst months of the pandemic, DART had 90,534 riders.

Since the beginning of the current fiscal year on July 1, 2020, DART has had 24,276 riders.

Pfiffner said the bus system’s numbers are down significantly because of COVID.

She said transit service was actually stopped from March to June of last year.

Moehnke asked why vehicle operating expenses did not go down since buses weren’t in use for a few months.

Pfiffner replied that repair expenses were up, due in part to a large number of accidents.

Driver shortage

According to Pfiffner, DART needs 16 drivers. It now has half that amount. Administrative personnel are being put to work driving buses to cover all the routes.

She said last September, six people applied for driver positions. Only one person showed up for an interview. That person was hired, but DART hasn’t been able to hire anyone since.

Starting pay for drivers is $12 an hour; $12.50 an hour if they have a commercial drivers license.

The proposed budget includes a $1 per hour raise for drivers.

It includes $845,000 for wages and benefits.

Pfiffner. who became the leader of Pathfinders Strategic Partners last year, said DART has never before submitted a proposed budget that includes money for all 16 needed drivers. She said she did not know why.