ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. (ROCKTOWN NOW) – The Rockingham County Board of Supervisors heard a presentation from a group working to bring bus service to the county.

The group, called the Alliance Committed to Improving Our Neighborhoods (ACTION) hopes to partner with agencies that can help acquire financial incentives for those services. Ray Eppard, a local pastor, approached the board at their Tuesday night meeting, and told them that ACTION’s goal is to not spend any county funds on the buses.

“Our goal is for there not to be any county tax dollars in this, at this point,” Eppard said. “And when I say ‘at this point,’ I believe we can accomplish this in the southern end of the county, I can’t speak to other zones. We would like to incorporate this in other parts of the county, but we believe that would best be done incrementally.”

Eppard said that ACTION plans to operate off a $1 million budget, and work with beneficiaries in the county who could help with their plan, such as employers whose employees would benefit from a bus service. Support from the county supervisors, however, is a crucial piece in reaching that goal.

“A lot of our plan would be contingent upon your approval, because a lot of these companies have no reason to sit down with us,” Eppard said.

The group has worked with Central Virginia transportation company Albemarle Limousine, which also provides limited shuttle service in Rockingham County. In a video presentation, the company’s sales and logistics manager, Eric Bryant, told the board that they are ready to discuss expanding that service throughout the county.

When asked by District 5 Supervisor Joel Hensley about the financial sustainability of these services, Eppard said individual riders would pay for their trips, but there could also be an option for employers in the area to pay for the service as well. The board took no action following the group’s presentation, and ACTION will be able to present the plan at the state level after December 1.