PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — SEPTA has named Scott Sauer as its permanent general manager, while the transit agency navigates a funding crisis that threatens nearly half of its service.
At a special meeting on Monday, the SEPTA board unanimously removed the interim title Sauer, 54, has held since former general manager Leslie Richards’ departure in November.
Sauer began his SEPTA career as a trolley operator in 1990. He worked his way through the ranks and was named Chief Operating Officer in 2022.
SEPTA faces a $213 million budget deficit and has outlined a 45% cut in service if new state funding doesn’t materialize.
“In the last six months, Mr. Sauer has proceeded to lead this authority with a steady hand and optimism in the face of unprecedented challenges,” said SEPTA board chair Ken Lawrence at Monday’s meeting.
“Immediately after taking over as interim general manager, Mr.Sauer expanded cost savings measures to help shrink our budget deficit. This has included difficult decisions such as freezing pay for 1,300 management and administrative employees, along with a number of other cutbacks and efficiency initiatives,” Lawrence continued. “His leadership has resulted in $30 million in savings for the agency, and he's not done yet.”
In an interview, Sauer told KYW Newsradio that he’ll continue to make the case in Harrisburg for a transit funding solution. “I think this certainly helps to have the interim title removed and to be able to say, ‘Hey, I’m going to be here for a while,’ I think that helps,” Sauer said.
“I went into the job with the title of interim, but working the job as though it were mine. I had the strong support of the board that gave me that authority,” Sauer said.
Under an executive pay freeze, Sauer’s salary will remain at $300,879. He said he’ll discuss the length of his contract after SEPTA deals with its funding crisis.
Sauer’s late father, Robert, worked for the Philadelphia Transportation Company and SEPTA for 30 years. Sauer told KYW Newsradio that when he started at SEPTA 35 years ago, he never dreamed he’d be the agency’s GM.
“Early on, I was just happy to have a really good job working for a company that was stable and had a long history in my family,” he said.