Union City and Fairburn earlier this week gave approval to refinance the 2003 bond for South Fulton Municipal Regional Water & Sewer Authority that would provide an additional $13 million to construct a reservoir and install water lines to serve the two cities and Palmetto. But for Fariburn there is more to the story.

The approval by the Fairburn City Council May 14 came with a caveat that would require the approval of all three mayors before funds could be spent on items not specifically tied to acquiring the needed state and federal permits. The council said it wants to be an equal partner, noting that the authority has not kept its commitment regarding all expenditures.

Fairburn maintains that the authority has already spent more than $9 million, or 22 percent, of the $42 million bond without securing any of the permits that would lead to construction of the reservoir in the Chattahoochee Hills Country area, development of a water treatment plant and installation of water lines to the three cities.