After reading your article of July 7, 1999, I feel it is necessary to respond and correct the information reported by your paper and comments by [Fayette County] Commissioner Greg Dunn.

In regard to what was reported as “igniting my ire,” it was not the refusal of the county to provide the Town of Tyrone the $25,000 that was requested for improvements to Shamrock Park. As I have stated before, I was disappointed but not surprised at the refusal.

What “ignited my ire” was the fact that on that night, the agenda item in discussion was the request for an extension to be granted by the state for the agreement on HB489. This was presented to our council with the explanation that the county and cities could not yet come to an agreement on the areas of service in public works, public safety and recreation. I was surprised because we, the Town of Tyrone, provide these services to our citizens. It was further explained that the level of service that was provided by the county was the item of dispute.

I question the level of service in these areas. Please note, as a Tyrone citizen, I do receive some level of service from the county, but for Commissioner Dunn to state, “What we do for the entire county, we do for them,” is absurd. When I dial 911, it's a Tyrone police car that responds, not a county sheriff. I cannot remember seeing a county maintenance vehicle clearing the right-of-ways in Tyrone in the last 10 years. And as far as recreation, I'll address that later in this letter.

What I do know the county does for Tyrone, and the rest of the municipalities, is to constantly try to “double hit” them for items that the county dreams up. For instance, on this same night as our meeting, we were presented with a request by the “Keep Fayette Beautiful” committee for additional funding. The reason being that the [county] commissioners had originally set this program up with a $25,000 budget last year.

This year when the committee went to the board and requested their budget be increased to $50,000, the commissioners told them to approach the municipalities for a donation of 50 cents per resident and then come back and see them. Now the way I see it, the residents of the municipalities had already made a contribution through their county taxes and were being asked to contribute again.

Another one of their ideas was to outfit the county with emergency sirens through a grant with the state in which the county had to come up with a portion of the funding. The county did an assessment on how many sirens were required and where to locate them. The county then informed each city how many sirens would be needed in their area, and that each siren would cost the city $410,000. However, the unincorporated portion of the county would be paid for from the fire tax fund which the town of Tyrone's citizens are taxed each year.

Why are the cities being hit with a fee for a service, while our county taxes were going to fund this project for the outlying areas? This was basically an assessment on the town of Tyrone of another $5 per resident for the two recommended sirens.

Since Commissioner Dunn made so many false statements concerning Shamrock Park, I think now is the time to give him a history lesson on this piece of property. This property was not purchased by the county, but was indeed brought by the Town of Tyrone for the purpose of a park.

The citizens of Tyrone and the parents involved in the Tyrone Baseball Association and the old Tyrone Softball Association cleared and developed a field out of a cow pasture with their personal tractors, equipment and sweat some 20-plus years ago. It was only when the town applied for a state grant and found out that they couldn't qualify alone, did they approach the county for assistance. The county then came on board and applied for the money.

Even though the county was now a “partner,” they remained very silent. The money was passed on to Tyrone for the park's development and then a second field was developed. This field was built by the people of Tyrone with very little assistance by the county. The county did provide lighting for the fields and also assisted in a 50-50 funding with the town for lights for a tennis court and basketball court. The concession stands were constructed by a local builder and the parents of the baseball association.

Besides these small improvements, the two fields that were on that park 15 years ago, were the only ones up until two years ago when the baseball association approached the town and county about building another. The baseball associations put their money into the development of this field with the Town of Tyrone's staff overseeing the development on behalf of the county. The county focused all their time and resources on the development of the park on Redwine Road.

The Town of Tyrone owned adjacent property next to the park, and wanted to begin some development of our own because of the lack of assistance from the county. We wanted to use our money, but no longer use it to develop the county's property.

When the county approached the town and offered the ownership of the park to Tyrone, the town accepted it with a few stipulations made to the county. The largest was the bringing the park up to meet the ADA (American Disabilities Act) Standards. This act is approaching its ninth anniversary and seven years after its enactment the park had not been accommodated. The expense was going to be made by the county eventually.

The issue of the funding of the recreation position for the next five years was an offer made by the county with no request from the town. Last year, the position was vacant for approximately six months and the county was not billed for this salary during that time. This position was only part-time. So to correct Commissioner Dunn's gross misrepresentation, the town did not ask for the park back but it was offered by the county.

When the town did regain control of the park, improvements began immediately. We constructed a walking path that encircled the entire property. The cost of this path was funded by the town with no assistance from the county. When we requested the county to assist with the asphalt for this half-mile project, we were denied.

If not for the gracious help of Peachtree City, the town would have expended a much greater amount of funds for this project. This path is constantly being used by the residents of Tyrone and the people in the surrounding portion of the county.

The $70,000 that Commissioner Dunn stated was used for lighting at Shamrock Park was also an error on his part. This money was used for lighting two softball fields at Redwine Community Park in Tyrone. This is another park that is being developed by the people of Tyrone. Six years ago, I personally asked the county recreation committee for the donation of truckloads of fill dirt to solve a 24-foot drop in elevation, only to be denied. Again, the county was focusing their resources on the fields at McCurry Park. I feel that the only reason the town got the money for the lights at Redwine Community Park was because it was an election year for some former members of the commission.

As for Commissioner Dunn's statement that the county provides space for our prisoners for free, he needs to know that Tyrone has paid almost $9,000 for “jail fees” Aug. 15, 1998, to June 29, 1999. He also needs to know that part of the funding of that line in his budget comes from the citizens of Tax District 3 (that's Tyrone, Commissioner Dunn).

In regard to Commissioner Dunn's “disappointment” that I had chosen to air my feelings in a public forum without discussing them with the county first, well, Mr. Dunn, I did discuss this with some members of the commission on the night we sat down for our face-to-face meeting at the Olde Mill Restaurant. In fact, [county administrator Bill] Beckett sat to my left and [Commissioner Glen] Gosa to my right and [Commissioner Herb] Frady across from me at the table.

But I do remember you and other commissioners speaking in the press about our idea of bringing sewer service from Fairburn as being “irresponsible” without any prior discussion of exactly what our plans were, with any member of the Tyrone Council or staff.

Another thing, I will not ask for yours or any other person's permission to speak on a matter of business that I feel is in the best interest for the town of Tyrone. I'm tired of sitting back and waiting for you to give us your blessings to receive what is rightfully ours if we just behave.

As a 34-year resident of this county, I have to say that I'm very proud of the progress the county has made. I also want to state that the problem of decreasing levels of service by the county is not something that has just been created by this board of commissioners. I have watched it decline in the 22 years I've been in Tyrone and it's time for it to stop. HB489 was designed to do just that.

We shouldn't be asking for an extension, but realize who provides our services and where our taxes are being spent. I know that the county provides some level of service, but don't try to convince others and myself that those of us who live in the cities receive equal service for our dollars from the county. I know that the county has sent a directive to their finance department to show the figures to prove I'm wrong in my accusations. And I know that if you give an accountant nine weeks, he can make the figures look as though we in Tyrone are living free off the county and their departments. But I know the truth. I see the truth.

I ask the commissioners to look at the “levels of service” issue and realize how the citizens in the municipalities are being shorted. I want them to look at these issues as someone who lives in the cities. I realize that most of the commissioners reside in the unincorporated portion of the county and can't really understand our positions on these issues. Don't rely on information that is passed on to you that is incorrect. As you can see, Commissioner Dunn was misled on the history of Shamrock Park. I know that he had to be “given” this information, because he has only been in this county for about eight years and he had no way of knowing the history.

Please remember! The citizens of the municipalities are your constituents also. The figures that were presented to the county by the Town of Tyrone were based on a very simple formula. Take the county's budget. Divide by the county population. Multiply by the population of Tyrone. Equal amounts spent on everyone in the county. It didn't take nine weeks to come up with figures.

Ronnie Cannon
Tyrone Town Councilman

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