A debacle happening in Stockton between the San Joaquin Regional Transit District and the San Joaquin Council of Governments continued Thursday regarding tens of millions of dollars reportedly left on the table in funds for San Joaquin County's public transit system.

It's been a year-long process -- and for RTD, they say they're awaiting $62 million in funds.

"This is personal for me," said Alex Clifford, San Joaquin County RTD's CEO. "This is $62 million I can put to good work for my customers who need this transit service and make it dependable."

RTA says the intent of Senate Bill 125, which was supposed to distribute the funds, was to provide much-needed financial assistance to existing transit agencies that operate transit in revenue service, helping them overcome their fiscal operating and capital challenges.

"So, SB 125 funds are to make sure that transit agencies are kept whole," Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi, the chair of the San Joaquin Council of Governments, said. "That they don't go belly-up, that they then have to close their bus lines completely. It's not, though, for expansion. It's to make sure that services are restored and with a healthy reserve, an agency can fund their own capital projects."

Though it wasn't on the agenda at Thursday's SJCOG meeting, Clifford still advocated for RTD.

"Many (customers) of which are disabled and survive only because they have access to transit," Clifford said in regards to video reels they posted on their website from public transit riders. "They can get from point A to point B. They can get to their doctor's appointment. I'm in this business because I'm passionate about helping our customers do that. Not everybody has a car, not everybody has two cars."

According to Clifford, a local tax measure gives them access to $19 million along with SB 125, which would give them $43 million, for that grand total of $62 million, which he said is just sitting in the bank. 

However, Mayor Fugazi said they are awaiting an invoice that qualifies before handing out the funds. 

"I've been a bus rider," Mayor Fugazi said. "I have students that ride RTD. I support RTD. But we also have to be fiscally responsible and if you're asking us to do something that does not follow the law, we can't do that."

"She tells us [to] submit an invoice for qualifying expenses, this is their invoice," Clifford said.

Mayor Fugazi also says she wants this to be transparent to the public -- and so does Clifford. However, at this point, Clifford says they've exhausted all their alternatives.

"As of tonight, we've now exhausted all of our administrative appeals, we have nowhere else to go," Clifford said. 

"Monday, I have to call the attorneys and tell them to start writing the lawsuit and get ready to file it. I have no choice," Clifford said. 

"The money is not gone," Mayor Fugazi said. "It is still there. It's still available, it just needs to follow the rules and meet the criteria. Once it does that, this board will happily approve it. But until such time, that ship has sailed on the last submission."