Lenox 'appalled'

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Fayette County's declaration

that it has given its final answer to the tax inequity question is not

the last word, says Peachtree City Mayor Bob Lenox.

"Frankly I'm a little

bit appalled by it," Lenox said Tuesday. "We've consistently

asked them to sit down with us and talk about it, and they have just as

consistently declined to do so."

The discussion is "not

over," says Lenox.

Stopping short of predicting

that the matter will have to be settled in court, Lenox said the option

of a lawsuit is under consideration.

"I'm afraid it's one of

those subjects that must be talked about," he said.

Lenox's comments were in response

to the County Commission's decision last week to send a letter to all

the city governments declaring the tax equity matter closed.

Talk of tax inequity first

came up two years ago, when Tyrone Town Councilman Ronnie Cannon stated

during a council meeting that he felt the town's residents were shortchanged

about $400,000, paying that much more in taxes than could be accounted

for in services.

A new state law requiring that

cities and counties cooperate to eliminate duplication of services and

increase efficiency put the discussion on the front burner.

Early this year, the county

and cities agreed to hire a consultant to settle the matter. Consultants

Government Solutions Ltd. issued a report saying that tax inequity does

exist, and suggesting the county increase services in some areas, set

up special tax districts or refund taxes to city residents.

In a series of letters back

and forth that followed that report, the discussion has gone from friendly

to hostile.

County and city leaders have

reworked figures numerous times, with county finance director Emory McHugh's

latest analysis stating that no tax inequity exists because the cities

receive a higher than proportionate share of local option sales taxes,

counterbalancing any inequity in the other direction.

Commissioners' vote last week

declares that the final answer.

But Lenox pointed out that

city residents also pay higher taxes to the county than residents of unincorporated

areas do. "I find it unfathomable that a resident in the county pays

less in taxes than a resident of the city, when we get little or nothing

out of the county in the way of recreation, public safety, public works..."

he said.

City leaders will talk among

themselves and decide what to do next, he added. "We're all fairly

adamant about coming to a resolution," he said.