MAX employees were part of a packed house at city hall Tuesday... they and those who depend on bus service each hoping to hear that birmingham would put up the nine million dollars the BJCTA needs to keep buses running through October.

Julius Oliver works as a mechanic for the system and says he just felt it was important to be present.

"Plenty of people are worried about they job. Maybe I should be too but knowing the Mayor, I never thought he would actually shut it down."

But Mayor William Bell says that the city isn't interested in continuing its full annual contribution.

Instead the mayor wants to see dedicated funding secured through state legislation.

"Birmingham can't do this by itself, we're fooling ourselves if each time we run into a crisis situation we run to the City of Birmingham and expect it to be solved and go away..."

But Bell is willing to put up enough money to secure an additional three months of service.

And, those dollars will come with conditions.

The Mayor wants an overhaul within the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority starting with new management within 60 days.

Bell also wants a guarantee that the system will retire a half million dollars in debt by years end.

The Mayor is also demanding the BJCTA allow a blue ribbon panel to review the books and recommend changes to bus routes.

Those recommendations could also include an increase in bus fares. And that's something bus rider Anna Brown is open to.

"An increase in fare with an increase in service would be great. I have no objection to it, but to have an increase in fare with the service we receive now, I think would be unfair to the riders of birmingham."