City councils

throughout Fayette County will soon consider asking the Superior Court

to order mediation of their dispute with the county over tax equity.

"We will

follow the exact procedures outlined by state law," said Peachtree

City Mayor Bob Lenox.

Mayors of the

county's cities got together Friday to discuss issues they have in common,

and decided it's time to take the dispute to a mediator, he said.

County and

cities have been arguing for more than two years over the cities' contention

that their residents pay more in taxes than they receive in services from

the county.

A new state

law requires that cities and counties come to an agreement over delivery

of services to their residents, and make sure people aren't charged for

services that they don't receive.

But county

and city leaders in Fayette have not been able to come to agreement. The

county maintains that, because city residents receive a larger rollback

on their property taxes from the local option sales tax, that makes up

for any inequity in services.

City leaders

argue that they included sales taxes in their calculations that a tax

inequity exists.

The County

Commission last month voted to stand pat on its final statement that no

tax inequity exists.

The next step,

said Lenox, is for the mayors to go to their city councils and ask for

authorization to make a formal request for mandatory mediation. All the

councils probably will discuss the matter in January, he added.

Lenox said

the law calls for a petition to Superior court asking that it order mandatory

mediation. A judge will have 30 days to choose a mediator, who will seek

to work out an agreement and then issue a report on the process within

60 days.

What happens

next if mediation doesn't result in an agreement?

"State

law doesn't say what to do at that point," said Lenox, adding, "I'd

rather cross that bridge when we come to it."

Meanwhile,

County Commission Chairman Harold Bost earlier this month said he may

ask the voters to do away with the local option sales tax early next year.