GOLDEN EAGLE FERRY FACES RATE QUESTIONS AMID PURCHASE FUNDING DELAY

GOLDEN EAGLE, Ill. — Riders on the Golden Eagle Ferry are facing a proposed fare change as Calhoun County works through delays in a public financing arrangement for the purchase of a ferryboat.

At a September 29 discussion, Calhoun County commissioners approved the ferry operator's request to raise individual and round-trip fares by approximately one dollar. Weekly commuter passes are to remain at their current rates, according to the explanation provided to commissioners.

County Engineer Kyle Godar told commissioners that high fuel expenses and the slower winter season were placing pressure on the Calhoun Ferry Company's finances. According to Godar, the operator had delayed requesting an increase while expecting the county's boat purchase to move forward sooner.

The county's acquisition strategy has been connected to federal ferry program funding that would become available for eligible public ownership. The intention is to secure a vessel and support ferry service through a structure that can access funding unavailable to a wholly private operation.

Godar said a county funding agreement had been approved locally and sent ahead of a September 30 deadline, but federal officials had already started reallocating prior available funds. He indicated that approximately $440,000 from the previous allocation was being redistributed.

He also said a further allocation expected to be announced around September 30 could be closer to $740,000. Those figures represent stages of the funding discussion, not evidence that a completed boat purchase has already taken place.

The timetable has consequently moved back. Godar indicated that agreement approval, appraisals, a county ordinance and bridge-loan arrangements would still be needed, putting a final purchase after the beginning of 2027 under the timetable he described.

The ferry company and county are seeking to keep the crossing financially viable while those steps remain unfinished. Godar said maintaining weekly commuter pass prices was a priority because regular riders depend on the route for recurring trips.

The Golden Eagle crossing links the Calhoun County area of Illinois with St. Charles County, Missouri. Its operation is particularly important to residents and commuters who rely on ferry travel rather than longer road routes.

The new individual rates were described as being aligned with Grafton Ferry prices. Riders should check the ferry operator's current posted fare schedule before traveling, because the report did not establish the precise effective date for every adjusted ticket price.