The

idea of charging impact fees on new industries to

help fund the new Fayette County jail does not

sit well with the Peachtree City Planning

Commission.

The

commission voted to draft a letter to Peachtree

City Mayor Bob Lenox indicating commissioners'

problems with assessing impact fees on new

industries.

Commission

member Tate Godfrey said the impact fees would

make it difficult to compete with other areas in

recruiting new industry. He said if Panasonic had

just moved into the county, it would pay

approximately $365,000 in impact fees ...

"and they wouldn't come."

Those

numbers are according to the plan the county

commission had earlier approved for collecting

impact fees in the county. But during recent

discussions with county and city staff, County

Attorney Dennis Davenport said Peachtree City can

devise its own formula to collect the fees.

Davenport

also has developed a new formula that would

reduce the amount of impact fees charged to

industries.

Planning

Commission member Jim Fulton said the impact fees

would be a "deal killer" with

industries that might consider locating in

Peachtree City.

"The

taxes they pay more than cover the services they

use in the county," Fulton said.

Commission

Chairman Tom Farr said the commission should

recommend that new impact fees not be imposed on

commercial or industrial businesses.

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