Professional mediator Tim Keim

has been handed the task of unraveling the long-standing dispute between

Fayette County and its three largest cities of tax equity.

An initial meeting with attorneys

has been set for Friday. "We'll get some ground rules and so on that

we're going to proceed under and then get started," said County Attorney

Bill McNally.

Senior Judge Stephen Boswell

appointed Keim, who was recommended by county attornies, to try and come

to a meeting of the minds between Fayette and the cities of Fayetteville,

Peachtree City and Tyrone. He has worked with the local court system in

mediating domestic disputes, said assistant County Attorney Dennis Davenport.

Boswell had earlier ruled in

favor of the cities, denying the county's motion to dismiss their request

for mandatory mediation under House Bill 489, the 1997 state law requiring

counties and cities to make sure their residents are taxed only for the

services they receive.

In a sometimes rancorous difference

of opinion that has lasted more than two years, the cities claim their

residents pay more in taxes than they receive in services from the county,

to the tune of about $2 million a year. County leaders say just the opposite

is true residents of the unincorporated area may be subsidizing services

for city residents.

Following a series of heated

debates in joint meetings with city officials, county leaders late last

year called a halt to the discussions, saying they had given their final

answer. "There is no tax inequity," they said.

Under HB 489, the cities earlier

this year filed the request for mandatory mediation, saying the law requires

that the dispute be settled. The county challenged with a motion to dismiss

the request, saying that a joint service delivery strategy already exists.

After ruling that the mediation

must proceed, Boswell appointed Keim.

Now, the county and cities

must begin negotiations within 30 days, and conclude within 60 days after

that.

Whether that's the end of the

matter is anybody's guess. According to the law, the mediation is not

binding. If any of the parties disagrees with the results, more court

action may result.

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