Carbon County officials have reached an agreement with its shared ride service provider to delay a proposed rate increase until April.

Commissioner Chris Lukasevich reported that after a presentation by Owen O’Neil, LANTA’s executive director, last week, where the county also heard from several senior citizens who utilize the service often, the board asked O’Neil to delay the implementation of the 90-cent increase on fares until April 27.

“This gives us about six weeks as a county to work with the Area Agency on Aging to determine if we can come up with any mitigating measures in regards to that increase,” Lukasevich said.

He added that a small roundtable between the county and staff in aging will be taking place to try and brainstorm to come up with some solutions since it would affect so many seniors who are already on fixed incomes.

During last week’s commissioners’ meeting, a number of seniors spoke out against the fare increase because for them, that additional cost could mean the difference of going places or being stuck in their home without transportation.

LANTA has proposed raising the one-way base fare for seniors, which it calls a “co-pay,” to $4.05 from $3.15. Some qualify for other sponsorships to lower the cost, while others must pay the whole fee. The base fair to use the service is $27 one-way, but senior citizens and people with disabilities can ride for much less if they don’t have access to a fixed-route bus like CCCT’s Lynx service. One-third of riders ride for free through the state’s medical assistance program.

O’Neil told the board that over the last 12 years, the co-pay seniors pay has only increased twice, by a total of $1.35.

In other matters, the commissioners recognized donations to the Carbon County Animal Shelter.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein announced that the Penn-Kidder Campus of Jim Thorpe Area School District held a dress down day and donated $650; F.J. Lesher General Contractor of Palmerton donated $1,000 and Lois Hollopeter of Lehighton donated $2,000.