Friday, September 6, 2002

Duncan to close

By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizenNews.com

Fairburn's kids and adults have just over a week left to use the amenities of Duncan Park before Fulton County shuts it down Sept.15.

Fulton County officials announced earlier this week the park would be closed for good the middle of this month.

The closure marks the end of a long-running feud between Fulton and Fairburn officials over who should pay for the operation of the park.

The problem started when U.S. Census figures released in 2001 pegged Fairburn's population at over 5,000. Earlier, Fairburn had annexed the park into the city limits and Fulton County Commissioner Bill Edwards said a law requires that a municipality must start paying for a facility when it reaches 5,000 population.

"I've put more than $1 million into that park. I can't do it any more. It's their park," he said.

Edwards noted that other Fulton County cities, such as Union City, have started paying operating costs for parks after they have annexed them, and now it's Fairburn's time to start paying the costs.

But the problem is that yearly operating costs are more than $500,000 and Fairburn doesn't collect that much in tax revenue.

During discussions over the fate of the park, Edwards had suggested the town impose a recreational tax on the citizens to pay for the park.

Fairburn officials maintained the law does not require them to pay for the park and both sides' attorneys are offering different interpretations of the law.

But in the end, despite meetings between attorneys from both jurisdictions, a deal could not be reached to save the park.