Hawthorn Council Approves Budget Shifting Funds to Expand Bus Service

The Hawthorn City Council voted 6-3 on July 7 to adopt the 2026-2027 Budget Ordinance, which reallocates $850,000 from street resurfacing reserves to extend bus service on Routes 12 and 47. The change takes effect August 1 and applies to all properties within the city limits.

The ordinance follows the end of a three-year federal transit grant that previously covered evening and weekend operations on those routes. Council records show the grant expired June 30, leaving a projected shortfall of 14 daily trips per route unless local funds replaced it.

Effects on specific Hawthorn neighborhoods

Residents along Route 12 between Elm Street and the industrial park gain two additional evening departures after 8 p.m., reducing wait times for shifts at the logistics center. Households in east Hawthorn served by Route 47 receive a new stop at the community clinic on Maple Avenue, shortening walks for medical appointments by an average of six blocks. Property owners in single-family districts 3 and 5 face the $118 average increase, with larger parcels assessed at higher values seeing bills rise by up to $210.

The budget document lists total new transit spending at $1.2 million for the fiscal year, offset by a 1.8 percent adjustment to assessed property values. Commercial properties on Main Street contribute an estimated $42,000 of the added revenue, according to the city assessor’s projection attached to the ordinance.

Next steps for implementation

Transit schedules will be posted at stops by July 25, and the public works department will begin repainting the new Route 47 curb by August 10. A follow-up review of ridership data is scheduled for the October council meeting, at which point any further adjustments would require a separate vote.