HART Honored with National Award for Excellence for FY26 Budget

HART has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for its Fiscal Year 2026 budget, marking a major achievement in public sector financial management.

The recognition is the highest form of acknowledgment in governmental budgeting, and reflects HART’s strong commitment to transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship of public funds.

“The GFOA recognition underscores HART’s ongoing dedication to transparency and fiscal responsibility,” said Chief Financial Officer Shirley Shu-Hurley. “It reflects the hard work of our team and reinforces our commitment to managing public funds with integrity while continuing to earn the confidence of the community we serve.”

To receive the award, HART’s budget document was evaluated against nationally recognized guidelines that assess how well it serves as a policy document, financial plan, operations guide, and communications tool. The budget was required to rate “proficient” in all four categories and meet 14 mandatory criteria to qualify.

Participation in the GFOA’s Budget Awards Program includes over 1,900 government agencies across North America. HART’s inclusion in this distinguished group underscores the agency’s leadership and best practices in budgeting within the transit industry and the broader government sector.

HART Honored with National Award for Excellence in Budgeting

HART has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for its Fiscal Year 2025 budget—marking a major achievement in public sector financial management.

The recognition is the highest form of acknowledgment in governmental budgeting, and reflects HART’s strong commitment to transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship of public funds.

“The GFOA recognition reflects HART’s strong commitment to transparency and accountability,” said Chief Financial Officer Loretta Kirk. “It’s a proud moment for our team and a clear validation of our continued efforts to be responsible stewards of public resources while building trust with our community.”

To receive the award, HART’s budget document was evaluated against nationally recognized guidelines that assess how well it serves as a policy document, financial plan, operations guide, and communications tool. The budget was required to rate “proficient” in all four categories and meet 14 mandatory criteria to qualify.

Participation in the GFOA’s Budget Awards Program includes over 1,700 government agencies across North America. HART’s inclusion in this distinguished group underscores the agency’s leadership and best practices in budgeting within the transit industry and the broader government sector.

HART Regular Board Meeting 7/15/13 - Recap

HART CEO Philip Hale

The HART Board held its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, July 15; the Board approved several action items on the agenda.

The HART Board's General Counsel also reported on HART Chief Executive Officer's performance evaluation. The board is pleased with Mr. Hale's performance and outstanding leadership.

In other matters, Jeffrey Seward, HART Chief Financial Officer, provided the Board an overview presentation of the FY2014 - FY2023 Transit Development Plan (TDP).   

Highlights of the Proposed FY2014 -FY2023 Transit Development Plan (TDP) Annual Overview:

• HART staff decided to do a complete TDP refresh in order to incorporate current community conversations and to ensure that the TDP and the HART budget are in alignment. (In the past the TDP and HART budget were not necessarily coupled.) 
• The TDP was a combined organizational effort involving input from every department to create a comprehensive overview of the agency
• The TDP is required in order to secure State Block Grant funding, and HART estimates that it will receive $4.3 million in FY2014
• HART will especially benefit from State Block Grant funding thanks to an increase in ridership. Ridership grew more than 18 percent between FY2008 and FY 2012, and more than 2.8 percent during the first eight months of 2013

Next Steps:

• HART Staff Finalize TDP Update 
• Full TDP Update for Board approval at first Budget Public Hearing in September
• The next step in the process is that HART will submit the approved TDP to the Florida Department of Transportation in late September 

Next Meeting:

HART Board Regular will meet Monday, August 5 at 9 a.m., at the HART Ybor Office, 1201. E. 7th Ave., in Tampa.

HART Regular Board Meeting 6/3/13 - Recap

During its regular meeting on Monday, June 3, the HART Board approved several action items. The main focus of the session was a presentation on the Proposed FY2014 Operating and Capital Budget by Jeff Seward, HART Chief Financial Officer.

"We are pleased to be able to provide the community a balanced budget which has a planned increase of service hours to our riders," said Jeff Seward, HART CFO. "Including new late night, midday, and weekend service on some of our key routes. All of that was achieved through strong fiscal stewardship yielding over $1.2 million of savings."

Highlights of the Proposed FY2014 Operating and Capital Budget

• FY2014 goals provide stable foundation for 5 years with continued emphasis on out-year fiscal sustainability.               
   
• Primary goals include: maintaining current levels of service, supporting continued ridership increases, and providing enhancements to selected current services, with a general focus on long-term fiscal sustainability, in order to enable migration from federal reliance.
        
• Cost saving measures include: across-the-board spending controls and realignment of resources. Reinvestment of savings will add $1.2 million of service enhancements.

• The Proposed FY2014 Operating and Capital Budget is balanced at $77,252,226, which is 26.7% under the FY2013 Amended Budget.     
• The Proposed FY2014 Operating Budget is$62,034,259, which is $453,748 higher than the FY2013 Amended Budget. 
                    
• The Proposed FY2014 Capital Budget is $15,217,967, which is $28,567,682 less than the FY2013 Amended Budget.   
                   
• Despite increased needs and only slight increases in revenue, HART's FY2014 proposed budget offers the following key elements:

     - Maintains current bus and paratransit service levels 

     - Adds over 16,000 hours of service enhancements to 9 routes   

      - Teamster step increases and non-bargaining cost of living wage adjustments 

     - Addition of operator and customer service positions for increased service levels 

     - Absorption of anticipated 11 percent increase in healthcare costs 

     - Funding for activities including a passenger survey, HART website and bus tracking system upgrades, DBE training, Streetcar safety assessment, and CNG operations/maintenance

Next Meeting 

The Transit Oriented Development Committee will meet Friday, June 14 at 9 a.m., at the HART Ybor Office, 1201. E. 7th Ave., in Tampa.

HART Board Approves FY 2013 Budget

HART broke ground on MetroRapid North-South in August!

The HART Board approved the fiscal year 2013 budget, which includes an operating budget of $61,580,511 and a capital budget of $39,512,848. This vote took place after the final budget public hearing, held at the HART Administrative Office in Ybor City on Monday.

The operating budget supports:

• 44 Regular, Express, and HARTFlex Routes
• In-Town Trolley during rush time weekday mornings and late afternoons
• Paratransit operations, or transportation for persons with disabilities
• MetroRapid North-South, new service beginning Spring 2013
• Streetcar operations
• More than 200 buses and vans
• Nearly 3,500 bus stops and shelters throughout Hillsborough County
• Customer Service, seven days a week
• More than 1.1 million trips each month!

Yukon Transfer Center is of the facilities receiving upgrades

The capital budget funds MetroRapid North-South, Compressed Natural Gas Fueling Station, and efficiency and modernization upgrades to several HART facilities.

The approved budget also includes new strategic goals and objectives. 

Goals:

• Exceed customer expectations
• Ensure safety & security
• Maximize financial condition
• Foster a thriving internal environment
• Connect the county and region
• Embrace innovative practices and systems

HART is also on its way to outperforming last year's performance results for ridership productivity, safety, quality of service and on-time performance. Most notably, HART has improved its efficiency by reducing the gross cost per revenue mile from $6.71 to $6.42.* HART buses and vans travel a combined 8.8 million revenue miles each year, and this reduced cost per mile adds up to $2.5 million in efficiency savings for fiscal year 2012, ending Sept. 30. Lower cost per mile is due to reduced fuel and administrative costs, and these efficiency savings allow HART to improve bus service for the upcoming year and absorb new service, such as MetroRapid North-South.    

Budget documents are available at www.goHART.org.

Each year during the budget development process, two budget hearings are held in September. This year, budget hearings were held Sept. 10 and Sept. 24.

HART Board approves 2012-2013 budget

The HART Board unanimously voted to adopt the fiscal year 2012 budget and a millage rate of .5000. This vote took place after Monday's final budget public hearing, held at the HART Administrative Office in Ybor City.

The total fiscal year 2012 HART budget includes a capital budget of $40.1 million, and an operating budget of $60.7, which is less than the originally proposed budget of $65.7 million and less than last year's budget of $62.7. The operating budget supports:

• 44 Regular, Express, and HARTFlex Routes
• Service until midnight on eight routes, which operate as early as 4:30 a.m.
• In-Town Trolley during rush time weekday mornings and late afternoons
• Paratransit operations, or transportation for persons with disabilities
• Streetcar operations
• More than 200 buses and vans
• 3,700 bus stops and shelters throughout Hillsborough County
• Customer Service, seven days a week
• More than 1 million trips each month!

Budget documents are available at http://www.gohart.org/ , then click on "Public Meetings."

Each year during the budget development process, two budget hearings are held in September. This year, budget hearings were held Sept. 12 and Sept. 26.

In other matters, during its regular meeting, which took place after the budget hearing, the HART Board voted to authorize a contract for a Project Development & Environment Study and Option for 30 Percent Design Services for the MetroRapid East-West Project to HDR Engineering, Inc., in the amount of $1.9 million, paid for by Hillsborough County Community Investment Tax funds. The term of the contract is 16 months.

Public hearing on proposed FY 2012-2013 budget is today

The final public hearing for the proposed HART FY 2012-2013 budget is today at the HART Administrative Office, 1201 E. 7th Ave in Ybor. As a part of the FY 2012-2013 budget, the HART Board is considering a restoration of the historic millage rate to .500, in order to maintain existing levels of transit service. The public hearing begins at 5:30 p.m.

Public comment is welcome at the meeting. See below for video from the first public hearing.

A regular HART Board meeting will immediately follow the public hearing.