The

idea of funding a new county jail with impact

fees on new construction in Peachtree City has

already met with much opposition from Mayor Bob

Lenox.

The

Fayette County Commission has requested that each

city pass an ordinance to collect the impact

fees. At last week's Peachtree City Council

meeting, the details were presented by assistant

county attorney Dennis Davenport.

The

jail is going to come whether the impact fees are

approved or not since it is needed to relieve

overcrowding at the current jail, Davenport said.

But the county wants to help defray the

long-range costs with money collected from impact

fees, he added.

The

county has developed a plan to charge the impact

fees to new businesses and industries in addition

to residences. But Peachtree City could structure

the impact fees however it chooses, Davenport

said.

If

all the municipalities agree to impose the impact

fees, the proposal must first be approved by the

state Department of Community Affairs before it

can take effect.

Mayor

Bob Lenox said he did not want to see the impact

fee levied since it would hurt industrial

recruitment.

An

estimated 95 percent of Fayette County's

industries are located in Peachtree City, he

pointed out.

"And

80 percent of the retail in the county is in

Fayetteville," Lenox added. "I've got

some real problems with those two points. We have

spent the last 20 years attracting industry in a

highly competitive environment. ... I can't have

an impact fee and recruit industry."

Lenox

said he was "very reluctant" to

implement another impact fee on new construction

projects in Peachtree City.

He

also added that since Peachtree City is almost

built out anyway, it wouldn't contribute a whole

lot to the funds collected by impact fees.

Councilwoman

Annie McMenamin questioned why the county decided

not to fund the jail under a special purpose

local option sales tax. She said that would be a

more fair way to collect the funds.

"I

strongly feel Peachtree City is being

overburdened," McMenamin said.