RIFLE—Take it or leave it. The Rifle City Council is telling the Traveler to accept less money this year, come up with a better plan or scrap the service altogether. The proposed intergovernmental agreement (IGA) for the senior transportation service called for a $133,000.00 contribution. That’s a $15,000.00 increase over last year and $33,000.00 over Rifle’s budget. Mayor Barb Clifton says the city wants to keep the service going but RAFTA has been unresponsive. She says with new housing projects underway, ridership costs are bound to go up. Clifton says this is the time to come to an agreement that works for both the city and the Traveler. She says RAFTA was late in getting the contract to the city. Councilman Ed Green suggests cutting a check for $25,000.00 now to cover the first quarter and then reassessing things for the rest of the year. “Basically implore them to get their act together this quarter and demonstrate to us what the real costs could be on a quarterly basis.” The city council unanimously agreed to pay $25,000.00 per quarter to support the Traveler. Less money could lead to a reduction in service.
