Calhoun County looks into funding for ferry boat purchase
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
By Steven Spencer
The Calhoun County Commissioners approved a motion for County Engineer Kyle Godar to move forward in applying for a grant that could be used to assist with the county’s purchase of vessels from the Calhoun Ferry Company, similar to the City of Grafton.
Godar said he received notice of state funding and it sounds like the county has a good opportunity to receive the funding if they should apply.
The money available in the federal Ferry Boat Program requires an 80/20 match, but the state funding could be used as the matching funds.
“It’s all state funds, so this would be a good opportunity to ask for state funds to use as matching funds for the Ferry Boat Program federal funds,” Godar said of the approximately $600,000 in state funding.
Godar said that the federal money allocated expires in three-year increments and currently there is approximately $1,241,000 available if the county had a project and the matching funds.
“It’s an 80/20 program, so in order to spend that money we have to come up with $310,000 for a $1.5 million project,” he said. “We don’t have the $300,000 to spend so that’s why we’re letting this expire.”
The estimated cost at the moment of purchasing three boats for Golden Eagle is around $3 million and could be financed and paid off around September of 2026 or 2027.
Three boats would allow for two to be running during commute and one spare in case a boat is dry docked for inspection or is inoperable.
The county maintaining ownership of the boats would also increase the amount of federal funding allocated.
“If you look at 2026, the amount of federal ferry boat funds that I show us getting has doubled because if you actually own the boats you’ll get somewhere around twice as much money,” Godar said. “I don’t know if that’s a one-to-one relationship, but that’s how the formula looks.”
Godar also said that the county can then establish a ferry fund once they own the boats and keep a portion of tolls which can be used as matching funds with the federal program in the future.
“The whole point is to keep rates reasonable to where it’s a viable option for commuting and traveling,” he said.
Concerns were raised about what might happen to the ferry boats in the future if the Calhoun Ferry Company decided to no longer operate the vessels. However, it was stated that finding a new operator should be easier in theory if the county actually has ownership of the boats.
“All they’re going to do is operate it, so there’s no big capital investment for the next group of people that takes it over,” Godar said. “So, in theory, you could get one of the pilots or the other staff members to take it over in the future.”
More information on the county’s efforts, as well as the City of Grafton’s, to secure ferry funding can be found online at rivercountynews.com and in the February 27 issue of the Jersey County Journal.
