It looks like it will be at least another week before the latest hostilities between the Coweta County Board of Commissioners and 21st Century Coweta is ironed out.

The latest skirmish between the governing board of the county and the county's economic and industrial recruitment agency occurred at Tuesday's commission meeting as leaders from the two groups argued about language in the contract between the agencies.

Coweta County contributes nearly $115,000 to the group and commissioners are adamant that 21st Century should disclose all contacts made with industrial prospects to Buddy Harrison, who manages the county's new industrial park.

But 21st Century's Rick Tamplin argued that if the contacts are revealed to Harrison, then they should be revealed to all the developers in the county.

At least two of the commissioners disagreed with Tamplin's statements.

“I don't consider Coweta County as one of your developers. We're all in this for the business of Coweta County,” said Commissioner Jim McGuffey.

Commission Chairman Vernon “Mutt” Hunter could not understand why the issue had become a sticking point.

“I find it difficult that they can't speak to each other. Why is Scott (21st Century president) afraid to speak to Buddy?” he asked.

Tamplin explained that often 21st Century doesn't even know the name of the company investigating the county and confidentiality is key when trying to lure prospects to locate businesses here.

But Hunter pointed out that 21st Century receives taxpayers' funds, which makes it subject to certain laws.

“When you become public, you lose some of that privacy,” he said.

As the debate simmered on about what exactly constituted a contact and how much information should be submitted to Harrison, Commissioner Robert Wood offered a suggestion to work out the problem.

Wood, who sits on the 21st Century board, asked that attorneys and staff representing both parties sit down and work out the exact language of the contract.

“I just think we're playing games here,” he said.

The commissioners voted not to change any items on the contract submitted to 21st Century, but agreed to negotiate on the issue of reveling information to Harrison.

County administrator Theron Gay said he would keep the commissioners up to date on negotiations.

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