By DAVE HAMRICK
dhamrick@TheCitizenNews.com

State and federal agencies want a commitment of $3.6 million next year from Fayette County to help pay for public transit and road improvements over the next three years.

And the U.S. Department of Transportation is withholding funds for projects in the Atlanta region until all counties in the region agree in writing to support the 2001 - 2003 Transportation Improvement Program approved recently by the Atlanta Regional Commission.

ARC also is asking Fayette to commit $280,000 in its fiscal 2001 budget to the projects.

In a letter to all metro Atlanta governments, dated May 19, ARC Executive Director Charles Krautler said the U.S. DOT “expressed concern regarding the ability for local governments to fund the local match for their projects.”

In a related matter, the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, created recently to oversee transportation projects and other issues related to air quality in the Atlanta region, has informed Fayette that the agency intends to “activate jurisdiction over Fayette County” because it is in the area that federal agencies have identified as having poor air quality (see accompanying story).

ARC asked for letters acknowledging the counties' commitment to the TIP by June 1, but Fayette Commissioner Greg Dunn said he didn't even see the request until he and commission Chairman Harold Bost visited ARC offices May 31.

Bost presented copies of the ARC memo and form letter to a somber group of county commissioners Thursday and asked them to study the issue carefully and be prepared to vote during the regular commission business meeting June 8, tomorrow, at 7 p.m.

“That's a critical document,” said Dunn. “I think we have to think long and hard before we decide whether to do that.”

“That's a lot of money for Fayette,” Dunn told The Citizen later.