Nebraska § 14-1803 - Metropolitan transit authority; creation; members; appointment; jurisdiction; compensation; expenses; delegation of powers and duties.

§ 14-1803. Metropolitan transit authority; creation; members; appointment; jurisdiction; compensation; expenses; delegation of powers and duties.

(1) Any city of the metropolitan class may create by ordinance a transit authority to be managed and controlled by a board of five members which shall be appointed as provided in section 14-1813 and shall have full and exclusive jurisdiction and control over all facilities owned or acquired by such city for a public passenger transportation system. The governing body of such city, in the exercise of its discretion, shall find and determine in the ordinance creating such transit authority that its creation is expedient and necessary. The chairperson of such transit authority shall be paid as compensation for his or her services not more than six hundred dollars per month. Each other member of such transit authority shall be paid as compensation for his or her services not more than five hundred dollars per month. All salaries and compensation shall be obligations against and paid solely from the revenue of such transit authority. Members of such transit authority shall also be entitled to reimbursement for expenses paid or incurred in the performance of the duties imposed upon them by the Transit Authority Law with reimbursement for mileage to be made at the rate provided in section 81-1176. The board may delegate to one or more of the members or to officers, agents, and employees of the authority such powers and duties as it may deem proper.

(2) Any transit authority created pursuant to such law shall have and retain full and exclusive jurisdiction and control over all public passenger transportation systems in such city, excluding taxicabs, transportation network companies, and interstate railroad systems in such city, and over all public passenger transportation systems operated by such transit authority in any county, city, or village served by the authority, with the right and duty to charge and collect revenue for the operation and maintenance of such systems and for the benefit of the holders of any of its bonds or other liabilities. Unless such authority elects to convert to a regional metropolitan transit authority under the Regional Metropolitan Transit Authority Act, if such authority ceases to exist, its rights and properties shall pass to and vest in such city of the metropolitan class.

The jurisdiction and powers herein given a transit authority is for local control and does not affect the general control vested in the Public Service Commission by the Constitution. Ritums v. Howell, 190 Neb. 503, 209 N.W.2d 160 (1973).