By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

The idea of funding a new county jail with impact fees on new construction in Peachtree City has already met with much opposition from Mayor Bob Lenox.

The Fayette County Commission has requested that each city pass an ordinance to collect the impact fees. At last week's Peachtree City Council meeting, the details were presented by assistant county attorney Dennis Davenport.

The jail is going to come whether the impact fees are approved or not since it is needed to relieve overcrowding at the current jail, Davenport said. But the county wants to help defray the long-range costs with money collected from impact fees, he added.

The county has developed a plan to charge the impact fees to new businesses and industries in addition to residences. But Peachtree City could structure the impact fees however it chooses, Davenport said.

If all the municipalities agree to impose the impact fees, the proposal must first be approved by the state Department of Community Affairs before it can take effect.

Mayor Bob Lenox said he did not want to see the impact fee levied since it would hurt industrial recruitment.

An estimated 95 percent of Fayette County's industries are located in Peachtree City, he pointed out.

“And 80 percent of the retail in the county is in Fayetteville,” Lenox added. “I've got some real problems with those two points. We have spent the last 20 years attracting industry in a highly competitive environment. ... I can't have an impact fee and recruit industry.”

Lenox said he was “very reluctant” to implement another impact fee on new construction projects in Peachtree City.

He also added that since Peachtree City is almost built out anyway, it wouldn't contribute a whole lot to the funds collected by impact fees.

Councilwoman Annie McMenamin questioned why the county decided not to fund the jail under a special purpose local option sales tax. She said that would be a more fair way to collect the funds.

“I strongly feel Peachtree City is being overburdened,” McMenamin said.