This article has been updated with new information from RTA about the timing and nature of cuts in service and positions.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is planning to cut some rides and jobs by March and more in the months ahead to cope with lost sales taxes that provided about seven percent of RTA's revenue.

The demise last year of a tax on payment for managed care is squeezing transit authorities and county governments throughout Ohio. The state government is providing short-term aid for the transition, but RTA and Cuyahoga County are making some cuts ahead.

Joseph Calabrese, RTA's chief executive and general manager, says, "If you know you're going to lose your job in three months, you should probably modify your spending habits today, not wait until your paychecks stop."

Calabrese said he'd cut service frequency and staff positions by far less than seven percent in March but would cut more later this year. "We want to phase this in slowly to reduce the impact on our customers," he said. "We'll look at the least utilized services first."

Calabrese plans to recommend March's specific cuts at a Jan. 16 meeting of RTA's board. He expects to keep all current routes in March but reduce the frequency of service on some of them. RTA has also scheduled a fare hike of $.25 for August.

RTA's lost taxes averaged $20.2 million per year. The state has guaranteed RTA $25.2 million in one-time aid for the transition and, if the state's finances work out better than projected, up to $3.1 million more in August. Calabrese said last year that a seven percent cut might wipe out about 2.5 million rides per year and 160 to 200 of his roughly 2,300 jobs.

Cuyahoga County is losing about $25.3 million in average yearly taxes, or more than four percent of its general revenues. Depending on the state budget, the county is getting transitional aid between $31.5 million and $35.3 million.

Cuyahoga County spokeswoman Mary Louise Madigan said theup county is cutting some jobs and raising some fees while spreading that aid over about three years. "We have to figure out how to make those dollars last while we work on other ways to plug the hole."

Ohio was one of a few states that taxed Medicaid payments to managed care organizations but not private payments. Last summer, Medicaid stopped paying those state's taxes. Its officials agreed instead to let Ohio charge franchise fees of 5.8 percent per year for managed care payments from any source. That was enough to cover the state's losses but not the counties' or transit systems'.

In its current budget, the legislature provided some transitional aid and called for renegotiating the franchise fees. Governor John Kasich vetoed that call. The Ohio House overrode him. Then State Senator Matt Dolan, a Chagrin Falls Republican, worked out a compromise for more transitional aid instead, some guaranteed this month, more possible in August.

Next year will bring a new governor and some new legislators. Local leaders plan to lobby them for more help but don't expect to see it until a new state budget takes effect in mid-2019.

To lobby harder, RTA's board voted last month to form a committee for external relations and advocacy.

The state is basing aid on complex factors, and the results vary widely among different recipients. Some are getting compensated for several years of lost taxes and others for just a few months.

Lake County lost $1.7 million in average yearly taxes and is guaranteed just $1.1 million to $1.3 million for the transition. Daniel Troy, a Lake County commissioner and chairman of the County Commissioners Association of Ohio, said the association accepted Dolan's compromise with reluctance.

"I felt like Germany at the end of World War 1," said Troy. "We didn't have a lot of leverage."

Troy said he didn't know yet if Lake would need cuts.

Here are the tax loss and transitional aid for counties and transit agencies in Northeast Ohio:

Cuyahoga lost $25.3 million per year and is getting transitional aid between $31.5 million and $35.3 million.

Geauga lost $416,266 per year, gets between $209,938 and $273,461.

Lake lost $1.7 million per year, gets between $1.1 million and $1.3 million.

Lorain lost $2.4 million per year, gets between $4.2 million and $4.6 million.

Medina lost $963,321 per year, gets between $245,009 and $392,013.

Portage lost $1.6 million per year, gets between $1.9 million and $2.2 million.

Summit lost $3.3 million per year, gets between $3.1 million and $3.7 million.

Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority lost $20.2 million per year, gets between $25.2 million and $28.3 million.

Laketran Transit Authority lost $417,800 per year, gets between $266,681 and $330,438.

Portage Area Regional Transit lost $328,210 per year, gets between $318,381 and $368,466.