By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@thecitizennews.com

The idea of charging impact fees on new industries to help fund the new Fayette County jail does not sit well with the Peachtree City Planning Commission.

The commission voted to draft a letter to Peachtree City Mayor Bob Lenox indicating commissioners' problems with assessing impact fees on new industries.

Commission member Tate Godfrey said the impact fees would make it difficult to compete with other areas in recruiting new industry. He said if Panasonic had just moved into the county, it would pay approximately $365,000 in impact fees ... “and they wouldn't come.”

Those numbers are according to the plan the county commission had earlier approved for collecting impact fees in the county. But during recent discussions with county and city staff, County Attorney Dennis Davenport said Peachtree City can devise its own formula to collect the fees.

Davenport also has developed a new formula that would reduce the amount of impact fees charged to industries.

Planning Commission member Jim Fulton said the impact fees would be a “deal killer” with industries that might consider locating in Peachtree City.

“The taxes they pay more than cover the services they use in the county,” Fulton said.

Commission Chairman Tom Farr said the commission should recommend that new impact fees not be imposed on commercial or industrial businesses.