A hearing is

scheduled for Sept. 25 at 1:30 p.m. in Fayette Superior Court in the tax

equity dispute between Fayette County and its cities.

Senior Judge

Stephen E. Boswell of Jonesboro, assigned to the case last month after

Fayette Judge Ben Miller recused himself, will hear the case.

County attorneys

will argue for dismissal of the request for mandatory mediation from Peachtree

City, Fayetteville and Tyrone. If their motion to dismiss is denied, Boswell

will appoint a mediator to seek an arbitration of the dispute.

Leaders in

the three cities claim that their residents are paying more in taxes to

Fayette County than they receive in services. County leaders say if anything,

the opposite is true.

Under recent

state law, counties and cities are required to develop joint strategies

for delivery of service to avoid double taxation and reduce the cost of

government, and the statute also provides for mandatory mediation when

counties and cities can't agree.

But county

leaders argue that Fayette and its cities already approved a joint service

delivery strategy almost two years ago, and mediation of the tax dispute

should come only after that agreement expires.

That will be

in about a year.