Friday, October 3, 2003
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Friday, October 3, 2003 |
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Rapson blames DAPC, not Christian, for financial trouble By JOHN
MUNFORD
The recent revelations about the unsure financial footing of the Development Authority of Peachtree City were not surprising to the former director of the city's amphitheater, which the authority runs along with the city's tennis center. Kristi Rapson is suing the authority in federal court, saying she was paid unfairly compared to the compensation of then-tennis center director Virgil Christian, who is now the authority's executive director. The dispute led to her resignation from the amphitheater before she filed the suit. Rapson said Wednesday that she feels bad for Christian, because she believes the authority promoted him to that position to justify paying him a salary twice that of Rapson's salary as amphitheater director. "Virgil is a great guy and I really hate to see how this has all unfolded," Rapson said, noting that she and Christian worked side by side as heads of both venues working for the authority. "They put him there because they were paying him more money than me." Rapson said the authority is to blame for the financial crisis because it has failed to live up to its responsibilities. "They for many years have not been doing their job which they need to be doing," Rapson said. And after Steve Brown was elected mayor and started putting pressure on the authority about its finances, Rapson feels the authority "moved the chess pieces around to protect Virgil." Rapson added that the public shouldn't worry about losing the amphitheater and tennis center because they are ultimately owned by the city. "They are two city facilities and they're not going away," Rapson said. "Whoever ends up running them will work to see they remain the first-class facilities they were meant to be." Rapson's husband, Steve Rapson, is a city councilman who was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Robert Brooks, who resigned to pursue a position on the Development Authority. Rapson was subsequently elected for a full term. Kristi Rapson has been working as a consultant for "small performance venues" and is also doing freelance writing along with a nonfiction writing project.
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