Wednesday, March 7, 2001

I appreciate the letter you published last week from Commissioners Wells, Frady and VanLandingham. It was factual, well-written and represents the only meaningful dialogue in recent months from the commission. However, several key facts were omitted.

House Bill 489 was indeed enacted to eliminate any duplication of services by cities and counties. As stated last week, we met that requirement and delivered to the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) a good service delivery strategy which does avoid any service duplications and maximizes the return to us as citizens for the tax dollars we pay. I feel that all the governmental entities in Fayette County are well-run and cost-effective.

However, HB 489 also requires, and I quote, "The strategy shall ensure that the cost of any service which a county provides primarily for the benefit of the unincorporated area of the county shall be borne by the unincorporated residents, individuals, and property owners who receive the service."

In our submittal to the DCA we had a good service delivery strategy but we repeatedly and emphatically stated that the funding for the strategy was not equitable. I quote from our submittal, "the entities will continue to evaluate this service... to eliminate the... inequitable funding issues. The entities have agreed to reach a satisfactory conclusion of this issue by Dec. 31, 2000."

We submitted our strategy to DCA in August of 1999. In January of 2000, realizing as a group that we were making no progress in resolving the funding inequities, the cities and the county mutually agreed to hire a consultant to resolve the issue. We prepared a Request for Proposal and jointly interviewed the several firms who responded. As you might imagine, choosing a firm was a little like the Arab-Israeli peace negotiations!

We finally agreed to utilize the consultant most favored by the county, Governmental Solutions, Ltd. of Atlanta, with the understanding that we would all abide by their findings and settle this issue once and for all. After thoroughly investigating the county budget and extensive research with the county operating departments, the consultants issued their written report on May 16, 2000.

Their conclusion was, and again I quote, "There is tax inequity in Fayette County amounting to approximately $2,055,000. Millage should increase in the unincorporated area to correct this inequity and decline in the county-wide levy."

In their verbal presentation the consultants also indicated that their tax inequity figures did not include certain areas such as the library and recreation because they lacked sufficient statistical usage data (which has since been collected) to reach a valid conclusion. They went on to suggest several different methods for resolving the inequities and proposed timelines for doing so. They also offered their further services, for additional fees, of course, to guide and assist us in implementing the solutions we chose.

Ms. Wells and Mr. Frady were commission members when the study was done. Mr. VanLandingham was not. The consultant's findings were clear and unequivocal serious tax inequity exists in Fayette County.

After receiving the report, the county virtually immediately disavowed the study, reneged on its commitment to abide by the findings, and started fabricating arguments to cloud and complicate the issue.

While there has been a great deal of "communication" since then, it has consisted mainly of trying to counter specious arguments and spurious rationalizations concocted by the county. With no meaningful discussions taking place, the cities have elected to follow the rules outlined in HB 489 and seek a solution under the aegis of the superior court.

In the past I have been harsh with some of my words about this issue. My harshness was due to the magnitude of the wrong that is being inflicted on the cities by the county and I do not apologize for it.

In the future, I will try to be more temperate, as there are indeed no villains involved we are all just trying to do the best we can with many very complicated issues. However, we have been arguing about this since HB 489 was passed in 1997 and the cities are still being wronged.

We who represent the cities are frustrated and even a little bit angry. Our position has been ratified by paid independent professionals of the county's own choosing. I guess they were wrong, too.

We are ready to meet at any time with all or any part of the County Commission if meaningful discussions can take place. Otherwise, we are compelled to do whatever we must do to resolve the issue.

Bob Lenox

Mayor, Peachtree City

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