A dispute over $25 could send Coweta County into court with one

of its employees.

County Administrator Theron Gay learned this week that the county's

solicitor, Robert Stokely, had filed a writ of mandamus to compel

the Coweta County Commission to do its legal duty and honor Stokely's

request.

The dispute is over a pay increase for assistant county solicitor

Seay VanPatten-Poulakos. In a letter to the commission, Stokely

said he requested the assistant solicitor's salary be increased.

Stokely said he had the funds in his budget to cover the increase

and notified Gay July 5 that he wanted the increase to start Aug.

1.

Stokely said he received a call Aug. 1 informing him that he needed

to fill out a payroll change notice. Stokely was at a seminar and

didn't fill out the form until Aug. 4. He then found out the

employee was paid at her old rate on her Aug. 1 check.

The solicitor has a problem with the way the situation was handled.

"Since these events, the commission has apparently decided

to micro-manage this office. If it is not clear by now, let me make

it clear: I am the only person authorized by law to run the solicitor's

office," he wrote.

But Gay has a different take on the situation.

"The commissioners are not trying to micro-manage. We're

just trying to follow procedure. We've got a lot of employees

to track and just can't change payroll the day before,"

he said.

Gay said he doesn't understand why Stokely had to threaten

to sue the county to resolve it.

"I'm kind of baffled by it. A phone call would have resolved

this," he said.

The administrator is hopeful the situation can be resolved before

it heads to court.