Dues may increase for YMPO members next year
Estimate points to higher contributions
Members of the Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization’s executive board were told at a Thursday meeting that their respective entities’ dues for the countywide intergovernmental group will likely be going up a bit next year.
The board was given an estimate of what each member will be required to pay into the local matching funds for the Unified Planning Work Program, which funds the studies done to map out future improvements for all modes of transportation, including vehicle, bicycle, pedestrian and rail.
These figures are not final, but based on estimates of the federal funding that will be received for planning studies, for which the local entities are required to come up with local matching funds. These funds also serve as the dues for belonging to YMPO.
The exact figures won’t be known until after the beginning of the federal fiscal year on Monday, but the estimates give Yuma County, the cities of Yuma, San Luis and Somerton, the town of Wellton and the Cocopah Indian Tribe more information for budget planning purposes.
The breakdown of the cash contribution, which comes to about 8 percent of the total amount spent on the studies, is based on population figures and other factors.
Matching funds forecast for this year, compared with last year’s actual figures, are:
• Yuma city 2018-19: $44,401, 2017-18: $35,943
• Yuma County 2018-19: $27,710, 2017-18: $22,249
• San Luis 2018-19: $15,419, 2017-18: $12,482
• Somerton 2018-19: $7,473, 2017-18: $6,049
• Wellton 2018-19: $1,386, 2017-18: $1,122
• Cocopah tribe 2018-19: $457, 2017-18 $370
YMPO Executive Director Paul Ward said, “Primarily, that’s based on the amount of money we have in the Unified Planning Work Program, but this year in particular it reflects that we’re actually carrying out more work. We’re doing a bunch of those studies and we’re going to be finishing them up. More importantly, we’re going to be needing additional funds,” he said.
The total YMPO planning budget for 2018-19, including federal dollars and in-kind local contributions, will be about $1.3 million. Ward said he is working to decrease the amount of cash the cities, county and tribe must contribute by increasing the amount of time their employees contribute to the efforts, which would constitute “in-kind” contributions. In other items Thursday: • Somerton Mayor-Elect Jerry Anaya took a seat on the board, replacing Mayor Jose Yepez, who was defeated in the August primary. He will remain on board at least until the newly elected City Council members decide who they want to represent Somerton on the YMPO board. Due to the rotation of the board’s top offices among the different entities, that person will become the chairman of the YMPO board for next year.
• The board voted to use $18,000 out of about $61,000 in federal funding YMPO received this month on a project on Juan Sanchez Boulevard in San Luis. The money was received as a credit from this same project.