> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Big Blue Bus issued financial transfer
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/big-blue-bus-issued-financial-transfer/
- Published: 2004-05-12T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T04:17:49.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*City claims transition won’t be a bumpy ride*

*By LAUREN BONIFACIO Special to the Daily Press*

The Big Blue Bus will be counting its money in a different office soon.

In a bid for better efficiency, City Hall is moving the financial operations of its blue-hued bus line over to the city finance office.

“One of the entire city’s tasks during economic downturns is to look for efficiencies in operations,” said Steve Stark, City Hall’s finance director. “As part of that process, we looked at the Big Blue Bus financial operations and the city Finance Department and the possibility of combining those operations.”

Although the Big Blue Bus is one of many city departments, day-to-day management of its $38.5 million budget had always been handled within the bus line’s administrative offices.

According to Stark, a tedious process would take place at the end of each year: The transit service would prepare financial statements and send them to the Finance Department, which would then incorporate the data into various financial documents.

“When you have two separate units like that, there’s the need to communicate more,” Stark said.

The change will require moving six transit employees over to the Finance Department offices, said Stephanie Negriff, director of transit services, but it is “going to create greater accountability in the city’s financial resources.”

Consolidating the departments “simply conforms Big Blue Bus financial operations to the same structure as all other city departments, providing consistency throughout the organization and making operations more efficient,” said City Manager Susan McCarthy.

Bus riders will not be affected by any of the changes. And aside from some employees switching offices, neither will the bus line, said Negriff.

The Big Blue Bus does not receive any funds from City Hall’s general fund, rather, it pays for itself with revenue generated through riders’ fares and county, state and federal subsidies.

City Hall will continue its annual reviews of Big Blue Bus costs, according to Stark.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 12, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/051204.pdf?ref=smdp.com)