Coweta's County's industrial planning agency took another hit this week as the Senoia City Council refused to pay an invoice for this year's services.

The council denied 21st Century Coweta's request for $1,250 after city clerk Betty Armstrong told the council that a contract had never been signed with the organization.

The city started sending funds to the organization in 1995 with hopes that some industrial businesses would locate in the city.

But four years later, no prospects have moved to Senoia and the council questioned the wisdom of spending the money.

”I'm just not sure that's where we need to spend our money,” said Mayor Joan Trammell.

Councilman Robert Hannah, who supported the organization in 1995, said it was time to cut off the funds.

“There was some value at that time [1995], but they haven't done anything for us,” he said.

The refusal to fund the group is the latest setback the industrial recruitment organization has suffered.

Just last week, Coweta County commissioners questioned whether the organization could use taxpayers' money to hire a professional fund-raiser.

The commissioners voted to express “concern” about the organization and instructed the commission's representative in 21st Century, Commissioner Robert Wood, to take the message back to the organization.

Prior to the fund-raising debate, the commission went through a lengthy discussion before approving $62,500 in funds for the group this year. Commissioner Jim McGuffey even suggested the group should be reorganized and fall under the authority of the Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce and the Coweta County Development Authority, but his proposal never garnered enough support from the other commissioners.

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