NRoute commissioners are hoping a Tuesday meeting with the Board of Mayor and Aldermen results in more city funding to help the bus system prevent an anticipated $50,000 shortfall by the end of the fiscal year.

Members of the NRoute Transportation Commission said income has not kept pace with the cost of operation, especially in maintenance and fuel. Commission members were to meet with the board in April, but could not set a time.

“We just hope the board will give us some extra money,” chairman Alvin Taylor said.

He said he did not know how much would be requested.

NRoute’s income is derived from fares, federal transportation grant funds, a $135,000 supplement from the city and $30,000 from Warren County.

And while ridership through May was higher than for the same time in fiscal 2011, fares are down $408 from 2011, and down $8,601 from fiscal 2010. Commissioners attributed the change to more purchases of discounted monthly passes.

“Ridership alone can’t be expected to pay the expenses of operation,” NRoute executive director Evelyn Bumpers said. “And our grant is a reimbursement grant, which means we pay for items and then we are reimbursed at a percentage.

“Expenses have gone up,” she said. “Fuel prices are much higher than they were last year for unleaded gasoline. We need some help.”

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

In March, budget projections by Nathan Cummins of May and Company, NRoute’s accountant, predicted the system’s expenses would average about $50,000 a month for the rest of the fiscal year, with income averaging about $40,000 a month.

In other action, the commissioners:

• Approved the financial report.

• Learned ridership for May was 22,957, 528 more than the 22,429 riders for the same period in fiscal 2011.

• Approved the transfer of $14,448 in Mississippi Department of Transportation multimodal funds from administration to operations.