ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – This summer, Delta County voters will be asked to support a public transportation millage.
On Tuesday, the Delta County Board voted to approve a ballot proposal by the Delta Area Transit Authority (DATA) for the August 2026 ballot. Four commissioners voted in favor of the motion, and one voted against it.
The Transit Authority currently operates from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ballot proposal will be for .689 mills, which would allow for earlier dispatch in the mornings and expand services to include Friday evening and all day Saturday.
According to Transit Authority Executive Director John Stapleton, the last time DATA asked voters for a county-wide millage was in 2002. That proposal failed at the polls. He says the requested rate of .689 mills is the lowest DATA can ask for to expand services while maintaining operations.
“Am I nervous? Absolutely,” Stapleton said to the county commissioners. “We’re banking on a millage, potentially, that could put us out of business if this doesn’t pass. Are we going to be there on January 1 if it doesn’t pass? That’s really the challenge with this, and that’s what’s scary about it. That’s why it hasn’t been tried for this many years, frankly. It’s that risky.”
Stapleton says the additional hours of operation would make a great difference for many community members. The money brought in from the millage would also allow DATA to reach people in more rural parts of the county.
