Coweta County and municipal officials moved closer this week to hammering out a final agreement on House Bill 489 that will try to put an end to duplication of services.

During a meeting Monday night, officials discussed the three areas of disagreement still on the table: library funding, funding of the Coweta County Convention and Visitors' Bureau and the fire tax district.

While officials learned that nothing could be done with the fire tax since the public had vote on the issue, debate centered around the library and the visitors' bureau.

City of Newnan officials would like too see the county pay more for funding the library, county administrator Theron Gay believes the issue is not covered under HB 489.

“This was an existing contract between the county and the city before the bill passed,” he said.

Similarly, the county would like to see the cities kick in a few more dollars to fund the visitors' bureau since many of the visitors are guided to many of the cities' historic attractions.

Gay pointed out to the municipalities that although there is a hotel-motel tax to help fund the bureau, the county regularly kicks in funds from its general fund budget to keep the center running like it should and keep bringing visitors into the county.

City and county officials are now leaning to a compromise on the two contentious issue and one report has Newnan's leaders ready to compromise if the county will strengthen its sign and landscape ordinances for property that borders city property.

While Gay has not received any official contact from Newnan's leaders, he's confidant a compromise can be worked out by the Oct. 31 deadline for submitting an agreement to the Department of Community Affairs for approval.

Since DCA needs time to review the plans, Gay said everything needs to be resolved by Sept. 30.

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