By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com

The county's proposed impact fee could end up scaring away potential industrial prospects.

That's the assessment of Tyrone Councilman Ronnie Cannon, who led the charge at last week's Tyrone Town Council meeting to continue a public hearing on the county's proposal to charge an impact fee to help fund a new county jail.

“If it's implemented, it could cost somebody like Richard Bowers $4 million in impact fees,” Cannon said.

Bowers is planning a 750,000-sq. ft. office park on Ga. Highway 74, but might take his business elsewhere if such a large fee were imposed, Cannon added.

But the councilman's main concern is that the county has not resolved the tax inequity issue that Cannon brought to the forefront more than a year ago.

Cannon complained that municipalities in Fayette are being double taxed, and an independent survey confirmed many of Cannon's suspicions.

But the whole process and how the county has dealt with it caused Cannon to vow to do everything possible not to resolve the impact fee question until the tax question is solved, he said.

“I haven't seen such arrogance since Richard Santiago (former Tyrone mayor) was around,” he said.

The municipalities wanted the tax inequity issue solved before the new budget year began in July, Cannon said. But county officials have moved slowly in dealing with the problem, he charged.

“I know for a fact this issue sat on Bill McNally's desk for six weeks before anybody did anything about it,” he said.

Cannon doesn't want a check cut for the overtaxation, but he would like the issue resolved soon.

“We told the Department of Community Affairs this would be completed by Dec. 31. I don't care if they have to set up separate tax districts, I just want it to be fair,” he said.

In the meantime, Cannon will continue to skirt the impact fee issue. While he feels it's a good method to fund the jail, he feels it puts too heavy a burden on businesses and potential industrial prospects and thinks adjustments need to be made on the impact fee structure.

Until the county gets serious about resolving the double taxation issue, Cannon will not budge on impact fees.

“It's time somebody stood fast in their resolve and I plan to do it,” he said.