Now that the dust has settled, the Coweta County commissioners seem satisfied with the 2000 budget.

Tuesday morning, the board passed a $28.1 million budget that features nearly a 7.5 percent raise for the county employees.

Unlike years past, this year's budget was marked by contentious debate.

By far the most heated debate concerned the continued funding of 21st Century Coweta.

The group is a public-private group designed to help lure industry into the county.

During this year's budget hearings, the commissioners approved the organization's regular $62,500 budget for next year and also kicked in an additional $43,000 to help market the county's Shenandoah Industrial Park.

Commissioner Vernon “Mutt” Hunter led the attack against increased funding by calling the increase in the budget a “mishandling of public funds.”

Specifically, Hunter said the county recently hired Buddy Harrison to manage the industrial park and increasing 21st Century Coweta's budget to market the park would create a duplication of services.

But commission Chairman Lawrence Nelms fired right back at Hunter.

“We found $500,000 earlier this year to keep the insurance costs down for our employees. Now you're acting as if $87,500 going to break the county,” he said.

The agency was originally seeking an $87,500 increase, but Commissioner Charlie Jones pared it down to a $51,000 increase after eliminating a new person at the agency.

“This increase just won't pass muster with me,” said a visibly angry Hunter.

Commissioner Robert Wood asked both commissioners to calm down and said the discussion should not get personal.

“They need the money to better market Coweta County,” Wood added.

Commissioner Jim McGuffey disagreed with Wood and said the extra funds represented a “high priced welcoming committee.”

Jones, Wood and Nelms supported the additional funds, while Hunter and McGuffey voted “no.”

After the vote, Hunter pointed out that Nelms had waited for Wood to get to the meeting before any budget discussion took place and said everybody knew how the vote was going to be cast.

Prior to the 21st Century vote, the commissioners had turned down a request by the Coweta County Development Authority for $100,000 to provide incentives to companies wanting to locate in the county.

But immediately after the split vote, Hunter made a motion to give the authority $100,000 to market the county. The vote passed unanimously and continued the fractious relationship between the two groups trying to promote economic growth in the county.

Another issue that caused concern this budget session was whether the budget is really balanced.

“We don't have a really balanced budget,” said Commissioner Vernon “Mutt” Hunter.

While the county's staff said it's balanced, Hunter had a problem with the fact that past savings in last year's budget were being used to fund capital projects next year.

“I just have a problem with the language. Before long, the reserves will be depleted and we'll be like Fulton County,” he said.

But commission Chairman Lawrence Nelms said the budget is balanced and the language used is no worse than claiming the county is cutting taxes every year when it is only cutting them by a small amount.

Finance director Ricky Smoot said this year's budget calls for no tax increase.

Smoot said the county had also budgeted overtime in several departments to anticipate the work load from the county's rapidly growing population.

After all the rhetoric had been used, the commissioners unanimously passed the budget.

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