The devil is in the details.

That's what the Coweta County commissioners are learning as they struggle to reach an agreement with 21st Century Coweta on a contract for funding the economic development group.

Commissioners balked at 21st Century's latest request on releasing industrial prospect information to the county during their meeting Tuesday morning.

The county wants a list of all prospects, but 21st Century officials said they would release prospects that share a “common” interest between the two organizations.

The commissioners balked at the request and wanted to make it clear who was in charge.

“This county is being run from 22 East Broad St. by five elected officials,” said commission Chairman Vernon “Mutt” Hunter. 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.

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 previously 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.

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.

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

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