NRoute will get at least $16,000 in supplements from the City of Vicksburg, and Mayor Paul Winfield wants to investigate returning its control to the city.

In a 2-1 vote Thursday, the Board of Mayor and Alderman gave NRoute a $7,045 supplement to meet its June bills and increased the city’s $11,250 monthly supplement up to $3,000 a month for the remaining three months of the fiscal year ending in September so the bus line can overcome its projected year-end $50,000 deficit.

South Ward Aldermen Sid Beauman opposed increasing the supplement, saying he had questions about the system’s management, but added, “their board (the NRoute Commission) has done a good job.”

The decision to increase the supplement follows a Tuesday meeting between the board and the commission to discuss NRoute’s financial situation.

“I’m happy they approved the supplement and were able to provide help for June,” NRoute executive director Evelyn Bumpers said. She said NRoute also has transferred $14,480 in Mississippi Department of Transportation and Development multi-modal funds from its capital budget to operations.

Winfield said the city’s monthly supplement increase is based on NRoute getting an extra $10,000 from Warren County and more state multi-modal funds to help erase the deficit. Warren County administrator John Smith said no one has contacted the board about the extra money. He said the board gave NRoute $30,100 in its 2012 budget.

Without county and state money, Winfield said, the city’s supplement will increase to as much as $12,000 per month for the rest of the fiscal year.

“We don’t have a choice,” he said. “This was a government service developed by the City of Vicksburg. This is a quality-of-life issue.”

“We have to approve this supplement for July, August and September,” North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield said. “We can either sit back and watch NRoute go under or we can help them. We need this service.”

Given NRoute’s situation, Winfield said, the board should consider taking it over. He said that means abolishing the NRoute transportation commission, which by state law can only be done by a referendum.

“It makes sense to put it before the people,” he said, adding any referendum would be on the city election ballot in June 2013.

NRoute was launched in June 2006 and put under an independent five-member board in February 2007. The board has two vacancies that have not been filled.

Winfield said the city may be in a better position to oversee the transportation system, and would be able to do things such as lease or charter buses to organizations for events or trips. Federal grant regulations prohibit NRoute from chartering the buses.

Beauman and Mayfield, who were on the board when NRoute was launched, said they were reluctant to put it back under the city.

Beauman said he didn’t believe the city should be involved with running NRoute.

Putting NRoute under the city, Mayfield said, “will make it a political football. You’ll have three people tossing it around, and it will eventually be abolished. I don’t want to see that. I don’t want to see it in the hands of politicians.

“We appointed a board to run it, and they’re doing a good job with what they have,” he said.

NRoute’s 2012 budget is $780,000, and projections for the final months of the fiscal year put its revenues at $40,000 and expenses at $50,000.

Its main funding sources are the city’s monthly supplement, federal transportation grant funds administered by MDOT and fares from riders. The federal grant is a reimbursement grant, meaning NRoute pays the bills up front and is reimbursed at a percentage, 80 percent for administration and capital costs, and 50 percent for operations.

The system’s profit and loss statement for April showed income from the combined funding sources totaled $37,548, while expenses for the same period were $55,502, for a $17,954 deficit.

Ridership through May was higher than the same time in fiscal 2011, but fares were down $408 from 2011, and down $8,601 from fiscal 2010. The commissioners have attributed the change to more purchases of discounted monthly passes.

In other action, the board:

• Accepted the 2010 audit report. The audit was prepared by Booker T. Camper of Memphis for $91,667. Camper also did the 2009 audit for $91,667, and has a contract to do the city’s 2011 audit for a price not to exceed $125,000.

• Approved sharing the city’s CodeRed database with Warren County Emergency Management. The Warren County Board of Supervisors adopted the emergency warning system on May 21. Emergency Management Agegncy director John Elfer said sharing the database will allow city and county residents to sign up online on the city or county websites.

Beauman opposed the move, saying the warning system needs to be under the county.

• Approved the municipal compliance questionnaire. The questionnaire involves state funds to the city and is required by the Mississippi State Auditor’s Office.