Coweta

County's proposed 2000 budget of $28 million is already

coming under fire from one county commissioner.

"We

don't have a really balanced budget," said

Commissioner Vernon "Mutt" Hunter.

While the

county's staff said it's balanced, Hunter had a problem

with the fact that past savings in last year's budget

were being used to fund capital projects next year.

"I

just have a problem with the language. Before long, the

reserves will be depleted and we'll be like Fulton

County," he said.

But

commission Chairman Lawrence Nelms said the budget is

balanced and the language used is no worse than claiming

the county is cutting taxes every year when it is only

cutting them by a small amount.

Finance

director Ricky Smoot said this year's budget calls for no

tax increase and features a 5 percent cost of living

raise for employees.

Smoot said

the county had also budgeted overtime in several

departments to anticipate the workload from the county's

rapidly growing population.

One issue

in this year's budget that is sure to lead to a lengthy

discussion is the Sheriff's Department's request for 10

additional personnel.

Smoot

recommended only four and said each new deputy costs the

county $32,908 with benefits.

Another

issue sure to come under fire is 21st Century Coweta's

request for $87,500 for another person to help the county

market its newly acquired Shenandoah Industrial Park. The

group is also seeking $50,000 from the county for the

county's share of funding Coweta Vision 2020, a strategic

plan for the future.

Smoot did

not make any recommendations on 21st Century's items and

said that would be a matter for the commissioners to

decide.

The county

will conduct a preliminary budget discussion next Tuesday

at 2 p.m.