SANFORD — The elimination of a state program that helped fund Sanford Transit means the bus service could be cut to 20 hours a week.

That’s the word from York County Community Action Corporation, which maintains the bus service that offers stops five days a week from locations in Springvale to the Center for Shopping.

The agency is asking residents to contact city councilors to ask them to add $18,400 to the city’s support of Sanford Transit, which would keep the service operating on its current schedule from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., or about 35 hours a week.

The request for additional funding for Sanford Transit comes at a time when the city and school department are struggling financially. City Manager Steve Buck proposed funding all of the outside agencies at the same level as they were funded this year; in the case of Sanford Transit, that is $13,352.

YCCAC Transportation Director Connie Garber said the bus service had 7,220 riders in the six months from Oct. 1 through March 31, the majority of whom are senior citizens or disabled. The bus service provided 14,632 rides from Oct. 1, 2012 to Sept. 30, 2013, Garber said.

The state transportation department eliminated the Transit Bonus program, which had provided $30,522 to YCCAC, which it used to help fund Sanford Transit, the WAVE and Sanford Ocean Shuttle. Garber said the agency has been able to come up with some funding, but has asked the city to contribute $18,400 over and above the $13,352 recommended by Buck to help operate Sanford Transit.

A general discussion of outside agency funding surfaced briefly at a budget committee meeting Thursday. Councilor Alan Walsh said he struggles with funding outside agencies when city services are hurting.

“That’s been a hot topic for 30 years,” said budget committee member James Drummey.

He said he’d like to cut the outside agencies, excluding the two libraries, over time and suggested a 10 percent annual reduction. Walsh made a motion for a 10 percent reduction, with Drummey providing a second. Mayor Tom Cote pointed out the budget committee told the agencies they didn’t have to make presentations at the meetings. Deputy Mayor Maura Herlihy combed through the list and calculated a 10 percent reduction would save little. Cote suggested formulating a policy on the agencies over the summer. Walsh withdrew his motion.

The budget committee unanimously voted to recommend to the city council that the manager’s budget, at $21.6 million, be approved. The municipal budget adds 2 cents to the tax rate and cuts two police positions, the sanitation director’s position at the public works department and an administrative assistant position in the codes office.

The school department is facing a revenue shortfall, and on Tuesday, the budget committee will examine a school spending proposal that would increase the tax rate. How much that increase will be isn’t certain, but it would be some figure below the 85-cent increase Superintendent David Theoharides laid out to the budget panel Thursday. Under the new scenario, the city would dip into its savings by $200,000 more than usual ”“ and the school department would have to come up with $200,000 in additional cuts ”“ to pare the proposed increase below 85 cents. While no firm figures were available Thursday, estimates vary between a 69- to 72-cent tax rate increase.

Garber, in a telephone interview Friday, said she’s aware of the city’s financial struggles, but she wanted the council to know what a rejection of the request would mean.

“YCCAC is very concerned about the impact this kind of service reduction would have on the people who rely on the Sanford Transit bus, as well as on the Sanford businesses that benefit from the riders who are their customers,” Garber said in a prepared statement.

Garber said YCCAC has written to Cote, the council and the city manager, laying out the impact. The agency requested and was granted space on the agenda for the April 15 meeting, when the council will vote on the city and school budgets, ahead of the June 10 validation referendum. She said folks with concerns should call or write to the council.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.