North Bay commute rail officials have begun working on an operating budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year that includes hiring four new employees and continuing a cost-of-living freeze.
The preliminary Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit budget was discussed by the executive committee on Wednesday.
"We needed direction on those policies," said SMART spokesman Chris Coursey. "Before we do a COLA freeze, before we add four more positions, we needed the board to buy into that."
The committee approved the budget direction, but asked for more information on the salary ranges.
The budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 will be given to the SMART board in June for adoption.
SMART is currently undertaking an analysis of the cost of building the 70-mile line from Cloverdale to Larkspur and projections of sales tax revenues, which are expected to be less than what was projected.
The construction budget and revenue projections will be finished in October.
The agency forecasts a $155 million shortfall, which it hopes to close with state and federal funds. It also is facing a delay in the promised 2014 opening of the entire line.
Administrators want to hire four people as the job of building the commute rail system begins.
The positions include a clerk of the board, a grants coordinator, an executive assistant in the San Rafael office and an administrative assistant in the Santa Rosa office.
The budget also proposes no cost-of-living increase in staff salaries for the second year.
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