DESPITE LOSING THOUSANDS, PROGRAM STILL IN DISCUSSION OF SERVICE RETURNING
The Baldwin County government’s four transit vans currently are parked and out of commission, following a vote late last month to discontinue the county’s transit program.
According to dollar figures previously discussed by county commissioners, the county’s transit program lost more than $200,000 during the first six months of 2026.
However, during Tuesday’s regular meeting, commissioners discussed the idea of eventually bringing the program back.
Two different companies gave their pitches, offering to take over day-to-day operations as a third party partner. Included was Resource Management Services, which currently operates the county government transit systems in nearby Greene and Bleckley counties.
“We do this for about 70 counties across the state right now, and most of them don’t pay much of anything, as far as putting money into their transit system,” said Stone Pinson, a representative for the company. “We handle all the dispatching, the routing, the scheduling of the vehicles, hiring drivers, paying drivers, managing the trips, taking phone calls, billing the customers, collecting cash, etc.”
Pinson explained that his company essentially remains profitable by billing Medicare and Medicaid for rides to and from doctors offices, dialysis clinics and other medical facilities. For riders who aren’t eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, or riders who are simply looking for a ride to the store, Pinson suggested that the fee structure remain at $3 per ride.
Three community members signed up to speak on the issue, including one man who told commissioners that “you’re leaving 10,000 people in limbo.” The claim that 10,000 Baldwin County residents use the transit system doesn’t add up, however. In theory, in order for this to be true, all 10,000 riders would have to use the transit service exactly one time per year and have received exactly one one-way trip.
The topic apparently has created some tension and resentment between several of the commissioners, and now there’s finger pointing. Andrew Strickland, representing District 4, spoke in a raised voice during Tuesday’s meeting, “The public needs to understand something. Over 30 days ago, this board gave notice that we were gonna probably end transit. From those 30 days, the leadership in this county, by leadership I mean the chairman, never called a work session to discuss options,” said Strickland, referring to Chairman Kenrick Butts, who represents District 2. “It was only until transit was actually stopped that we came up with solutions to help. So, I understand the frustration with the public here, but the chairman of this county commission has the ability to call work sessions, ad hoc committees to do research, all sorts of things, and you didn’t see any of that happen. And, that’s unfortunate, but we’re going to do the best we can to get the needs of the people met.”
Butts took issue with that, explaining he did call a work session on July 22.
“I was hoping that this board would give me an opportunity to do those things, but instead three of you on this board voted to get rid of it, so I didn’t have the opportunity,” Butts said.
Ultimately, commissioners voted to create an ad hoc committee “to research all the different options available” for the county’s transit program.