City officials in Middletown and an area transit service are going head-to-head for an agreement that could affect hundreds of thousands of riders.
The mayor's office announced Tuesday that the city will not sign a contract it has with Middletown Area Transit if the bus company does not meet a list of the city's demands.
Middletown Mayor Dan Drew presented the list to the public after a closed door meeting with MAT officials.
The list is as follows:
First, the city wants the resignation of some of management personnel and consultants working at MAT.
Second, the city wants MAT to trim down its board from six members to two.
Third, MAT must request help from the Department of Transportation, including a request for the DOT to provide an emergency manager, which will be appointed by the board.
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Lastly, the MAT must bring back H and I bus routes and continue to provide evening bus service, which MAT threatened to eliminate.
If MAT does not comply, the city will not renew its contract with the bus service and MAT will lose more than $300,000 subsidy the city provides.
"I will withhold the city's subsidy. Because I have no confidence any longer in the administration's ability to carry out the functions of the organization, or its handling of finances. These demands need to be met in order for the city to release its portion of the subsidy," Drew said.
The MAT said financial strain is the reason for the cuts. We reached out to the MAT but they did not respond.
City officials are hoping for an agreement by July 1, the end of the fiscal year.
