Siskiyou County will hold a public hearing Nov. 18 to consider withdrawing from the Siskiyou Transportation Agency (STAJPA), County Administrator Angela Davis told the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 7. If the county votes to withdraw, the joint powers agreement provides that the agency's dissolution process would be initiated and could take 120 days to six months.

Why it matters: The JPA currently governs regional transit provision. County leaders said the agency's structure created duplication of administration without improving service efficiency, and county members want cities and member agencies to reassess how transportation services are provided.

What the county told the board: Angela Davis summarized the withdrawal and dissolution mechanics in the JPA and said the statutory 120-day timeframe in the agreement is a minimum; practical dissolution could take up to six months to resolve asset distribution, liabilities and service continuity. "That process can take... anywhere from 120 days to 6 months," Davis said.

Board members said they learned at an earlier STAJPA meeting that one member initiating a withdrawal is the mechanism to start dissolution. Several supervisors said the JPA doubled administrative costs and did not deliver the expected service efficiencies. "We actually doubled, you know, we made a whole new bureaucracy... hiring another attorney," one supervisor said, summarizing the board's concerns about duplication (board comments reported as discussion; no single-name attribution for that paraphrase).

County counsel Natalie Reed clarified the withdrawal mechanics: after a noticed public hearing the board would set an effective withdrawal date that must be at least 120 days after the decision, though counsel said the period can be longer to protect transit riders and ensure service continuity.

Board action: The board moved and voted to set a noticed public hearing for Nov. 18, 2025. Votes recorded at the meeting were in favor with all five supervisors recorded as saying "aye" during the roll call.

Next steps and potential outcomes: If Siskiyou County withdraws, the remaining member agencies on the STAJPA would decide whether to return to the previous model (where the county provided regional transportation services through the Local Transportation Commission) or create an alternative structure, and how to apportion funding and assets. County staff were directed to schedule the public hearing and prepare materials for the Nov. 18 meeting.

Context: The discussion reflected concern among county leaders that the JPA had introduced added bureaucracy and cost. Staff emphasized the dissolution process is controlled by the JPA and the member agencies, and that withdrawal is not an immediate cessation of services: the JPA requires steps to protect existing transit service during the transition.