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County: delayed SCDOT reimbursements and paperwork left GRU unable to continue services
Summary
Barnwell County leaders said Generations Unlimited lost SCDOT reimbursement payments after required paperwork was not submitted on time; staff and volunteers tried to catch up but the backlog and the cost to rebuild staff made continued transportation services unsustainable.
Barnwell County officials told the council at a March 2, 2026 special meeting that delayed reimbursements from the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) played a central role in Generations Unlimited’s decision to resign and wind down operations. County leaders said SCDOT had been the source of a roughly $100,000-per-year match for GRU transportation, but that reimbursement required GRU to spend funds first and then submit paperwork for reimbursement.
"We counted on funding from SCDOT; however, we were unable to produce paperwork on time, so the funds were not released," Chairman Freddie L. Houston Sr. said. County officials said that to pursue the money currently owed by SCDOT would require hiring staff to reconstruct records and submit claims — a cost likely to approach the amount recoverable, making the effort uneconomic. Representative Lonnie Hosey said he was seeking alternative funding sources but did not report a specific program or timeline.
County council members said Barnwell County has provided emergency support in recent years totaling "over $1 million," though they did not provide an exact accounting in the meeting record. Ms. Long of GRU said staff and volunteers had worked for years to get paperwork and records up to date but continued to face uncertainty about compliance requirements. The transcript records no SCDOT representative at the meeting to address the compliance or reimbursement questions directly.
