The long,

simmering fight between Coweta County and the

Chattahoochee-Flint Regional Development Center came to a

head last month when the board members of the planning

agency voted to kick Coweta County and the city of

LaGrange out of the organization.

The board

voted to kick out and not allow members to vote who were

not current with their dues. Coweta County has withheld

nearly $41,000 in 1999 dues from the organization in a

protest over the city of LaGrange not paying dues for the

last four years.

"They

[LaGrange] said they're current because they've paid dues

for 1999, but they still owe for 1996, 1997 and

1998," said Commissioner Vernon "Mutt"

Hunter who attended the board meeting.

Since

LaGrange has now been removed from the organization and

can't receive any services from the planning group unless

the services are state-mandated, Hunter asked the county

to now pay its back dues and get back in the

organization.

Hunter also

would like to see a complete accounting of all the

services that Chatt-Flint has provided the county so

county officials will know what they're getting for their

funds.