The

county's proposed impact fee could end up scaring

away potential industrial prospects.

That's

the assessment of Tyrone Councilman Ronnie

Cannon, who led the charge at last week's Tyrone

Town Council meeting to continue a public hearing

on the county's proposal to charge an impact fee

to help fund a new county jail.

"If

it's implemented, it could cost somebody like

Richard Bowers $4 million in impact fees,"

Cannon said.

Bowers

is planning a 750,000-sq. ft. office park on Ga.

Highway 74, but might take his business elsewhere

if such a large fee were imposed, Cannon added.

But

the councilman's main concern is that the county

has not resolved the tax inequity issue that

Cannon brought to the forefront more than a year

ago.

Cannon

complained that municipalities in Fayette are

being double taxed, and an independent survey

confirmed many of Cannon's suspicions.

But

the whole process and how the county has dealt

with it caused Cannon to vow to do everything

possible not to resolve the impact fee question

until the tax question is solved, he said.

"I

haven't seen such arrogance since Richard

Santiago (former Tyrone mayor) was around,"

he said.

The

municipalities wanted the tax inequity issue

solved before the new budget year began in July,

Cannon said. But county officials have moved

slowly in dealing with the problem, he charged.

"I

know for a fact this issue sat on Bill McNally's

desk for six weeks before anybody did anything

about it," he said.

Cannon

doesn't want a check cut for the overtaxation,

but he would like the issue resolved soon.

"We

told the Department of Community Affairs this

would be completed by Dec. 31. I don't care if

they have to set up separate tax districts, I

just want it to be fair," he said.

In

the meantime, Cannon will continue to skirt the

impact fee issue. While he feels it's a good

method to fund the jail, he feels it puts too

heavy a burden on businesses and potential

industrial prospects and thinks adjustments need

to be made on the impact fee structure.

Until

the county gets serious about resolving the

double taxation issue, Cannon will not budge on

impact fees.

"It's

time somebody stood fast in their resolve and I

plan to do it," he said.

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