Fayette County commissioners said last week they applaud Gov. Roy Barnes' desire to reduce taxes, but they would prefer he concentrate on state taxes and leave county taxes alone.

Barnes' plan to exempt the first $50,000 of a home's value from property taxes would cost the county about $3 million a year, and the Fayette County Board of Education would lose about $10 million, said Commissioner Greg Dunn.

The commission has written to local legislators asking them to oppose the plan, but legislators this week had little comment, saying the governor has not yet introduced a bill corresponding to his stated tax cut plan.

"I haven't seen anything in writing," said Rep. Kathy Cox, R-Peachtree City. "Republicans want to cut income tax, but we're not in a position to be able to do that," she added. "Homeowners need some relief, especially elderly homeowners. It's a very popular idea."

Barnes has promised to replace county revenue by increasing state allocations to county governments, but Bost said that will have the effect of transferring power from local governments to the state government.

"Anytime money comes back from the state there's going to be a thousand conditions put on it," he said.

"The check's in the mail doesn't get it for me," agreed Dunn.

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland said Tuesday the governor's floor leader was expected to drop a bill in the hopper Tuesday or today. "We know what he says he wants to do, but we don't know how he's going to go about doing it," said Westmoreland.

If counties are allowed to increase their tax rates to replace lost revenue, the effects may not be so bad, he said.