Dundee Township is asking other local governments to help fund its Ride in Kane program, which provides transportation for seniors and the disabled, because operational costs have nearly doubled in the last six months, township Supervisor Arin Thrower said.

Expenses have increased from about $7,000 to $12,000, which is “not going to be sustainable for us at the township,” Thrower said.

With the township’s new fiscal year starting March 1, the township board will be voting on the 2024-25 budget in a few weeks and must decide if it will continue to fund Ride in Kane, she said.

Operational costs have been steady the last few years but surged over the last six months, she said. This coming year’s projected price is $148,000, compared to $65,789 in fiscal year 2023-24 and $67,802 in 2022-23.

“Anytime a unit of government has to look at their service levels and make changes, it’s going to be a very tough decision,” Thrower said. “We also have to look at what programs the township is mandated to do. This is not one of them. It’s something we want to do. It’s something we need to do. But it’s not mandated.”

The township has approached the villages of Carpentersville, East Dundee, West Dundee, and Sleepy Hollow about providing funding for the program.

Pace operates and manages the service, which is available throughout Kane County and is funded by cities, villages and townships. Dundee Township registers riders and pays for the service for anyone who lives within the township.

Dundee Township Park District brought Ride in Kane to the area in the 1990s. Thrower shared the township’s situation with the township Park Board, which discussed it at its Wednesday night meeting.

“We used to administer it and took it on as a park district,” Dundee Township Park Executive Director Dave Peterson told park commissioners. “We hired bus drivers who would take seniors around for errands and doctor appointments. Over time, our risk management company didn’t like the park district taking on the role. It wasn’t part of our mission.”

When the park district stepped back, Dundee Township stepped in with financial support from the four villages and the park district, Peterson said. A 2007 intergovernmental agreement spelled out the arrangement, but it was only valid for a year, he said.

The park district provided funding for a few years afterward, as did the villages, but eventually the total cost fell on the township, Peterson said.

Thrower doesn’t know why the other governmental contributions stopped.

“It was probably for financial stress or a change of leadership. Carpentersville pulled out first, then everyone else followed suit,” she said.

Carpentersville has the highest rate of ridership, data shows. Ride in Kane provides rides for 300 people every month. Thrower has proposed that each village pay based on the number of residents who use the service.

She has already heard from Sleepy Hollow officials, who said they can’t afford to provide any funding, she said.

While the other villages have not yet responded, she is hopeful they can get a commitment on a new intergovernmental agreement with all of them before the township board’s Feb. 21 deadline to vote on a new budget.

As for what’s driving up the increased costs, Thrower said she isn’t sure. Pace officials have told her they’re outsourcing some rides to taxi services, especially for people who need them in the morning, and that can be expensive, she said. One invoice showed a 10-mile ride cost the township $65, she said.

“It’s not efficient. It’s not effective,” Thrower said. “I think Pace is trying to provide a better service, but with that comes a greater expense,” Thrower said.

She’s also looking into other options, she said, and has proposed to Kane County officials that the county take over the service. DuPage and McHenry counties manage similar  programs for all their residents, which is better than the piecemeal basis done in Kane, she said.

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.