The Clayton County Commission has passed a resolution directing its Office of Economic Development to conduct an impact study on the decision by commissioners to terminate the public transit C-Tran service March 31.

The original resolution called for the commission to hire a professional consulting firm to do the study. However, the commission has opted to do it in-house through its Office of Economic Development and Director Grant Wainscott.

“I urge Mr. Wainscott to complete the study and answer questions not only relating to how the termination of C-Tran would affect the county economically but also its impact on our unemployment picture,” Clayton County Commission Chairman Eldrin Bell said.

The chairman added that, through the study, he also hopes the department would provide the commission recommendations as to available sources of county funding which could be directed toward saving C-Tran.

Wainscott said his office was formulating a plan for the project.

Although no official time limit has been given for completion of the study, Bell hopes it would be ready inside of an eight-week time frame.

“We will try to do an internal audit and an economic impact analysis,” Wainscott said, “We are just happy to have the opportunity to provide what information we can to the commission.”

On Oct. 13, the commission voted 4-1, with Bell casting the lone dissenting vote, to not only alter the county’s public transportation service by eliminating or combining C-Tran routes, but terminate the system March 31.

However, District 76 state Rep. Mike Glanton, D-Ellenwood, said the Clayton County Legislative Delegation has entered into discussion regarding the potential for state and federal funding for public transit in the county.

Glanton believes efforts by the delegation to gain such funding should be enhanced due to five of the eight delegation members serving on transportation committees in either the House of Representatives or the Senate.

According to Bell, Clayton County has $25 million in reserve and believes the commission’s decision to immediately cut or combine C-Tran routes and raise fares while terminating the system in five months “is not because we don’t have the money.”

“This transit system is critically important to our citizens,” he said. “The decisions made by the commission regarding C-Tran will have an immediate impact on jobs, sales, small business, foreclosures and a host of other factors,” Bell added.