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2015 OPERATING BUDGET <br />The Metropolitan Council budget for operations, <br />pass-through programs, and debt service <br />(loan repayments) is $936 million in 2015. <br />2015 Operating Budget - <br />Uses by Function: $936 Million <br />Pass-through <br />Programs $115 <br />Operations <br />$661 <br />Debt Service <br />$160 <br />HOW THE COUNCIL IS FUNDED <br />2015 Operating Budget - <br />Sources of Funds: $936 Million <br />5% -Other $46 2°/0- Reserves $17 <br />Property Tax $80 <br />Federal $86 <br />37% <br />State Revenues $358 <br />Charges for <br />Service $349 <br />CHARGES FOR SERVICES <br />More than one-third of our funding comes from <br />services that customers pay for. Our primary <br />"paying" customers are transit riders and local <br />municipalities. <br />Transit Fares <br />Regional transit ridership is projected to top <br />100 million rides and travel over 50 million miles <br />in 2015. For transit, the ratio of fare revenue to <br />cost varies across types of service. For <br />example, light rail transit fares pay for 35-40% <br />of operating costs; regular -route bus service <br />fares pay for 28-33%; and ADA services <br />(Metro Mobility) fares pay for a much smaller <br />9 <br />percentage, at 10-12% of costs. The Council <br />may consider budget -neutral changes to its <br />fare policy during 2015. <br />Wastewater Charges <br />On a typical day, Environmental Services <br />Division collects 250 million gallons of <br />wastewater from thousands of miles of pipes <br />in the region. <br />The wastewater is cleaned at one of eight <br />regional treatment plants and returned to our <br />rivers and groundwater. The treated water is <br />cleaner than existing water in the river. Our <br />wastewater treatment plants are among the <br />highest performing in the nation and annually <br />receive recognition from the National <br />Association of Clean Water Agencies. <br />The 2015 budget includes an adopted increase <br />in the metropolitan wastewater charge of 3.5%. <br />With this increase, the average metro household <br />will pay approximately $21 a month in retail <br />sewer charges. Included in the monthly charge <br />approximately $13 is the Council's wastewater <br />charge and $8 is the local charge. The sewer <br />availability charge imposed on <br />development will not increase for 2015. <br />STATE REVENUES <br />The Council receives revenue from the State <br />of Minnesota, primarily from motor vehicle <br />sales taxes for transit (MVST - $262 million), <br />state general fund appropriations for transit <br />($82 million) and parks operations ($9 million). <br />Additional state revenue ($5 million) is <br />appropriated for housing, water supply, and <br />inflow & infiltration programs. <br />Thirty-six percent of state MVST revenues are <br />constitutionally dedicated to metropolitan area <br />transit. The budget includes pass-through <br />funds of $25 million MVST revenues to <br />Suburban Transit Providers. <br />The Council's procedure for allocating regional <br />transit revenues draws from and replenishes <br />operating reserves to maintain target fund <br />