It appears

as if officials from Fayette County, Peachtree City, Fayetteville and

Tyrone are close to an agreement on how the county will provide jail services

for the municipalities.

The Peachtree

City Council discussed a draft of a proposed jail agreement at its special

called meeting Wednesday night. Council tabled the matter until its regular

meeting Feb. 7 so officials from Fayetteville and Tyrone could have their

input on the document.

Almost all

of Wednesday's discussion took place in executive session since council

reasoned the agreement was part of litigation the city was involved in.

Peachtree City,

along with Fayetteville and Tyrone, sued the county last year, alleging

that city residents pay more in county taxes than they receive back in

services. The case is currently in the mediation as all parties try to

negotiate an equitable settlement.

The Citizen

has filed a lawsuit asking that the mediation be halted until it can be

determined whether the mediation hearings should be open to the public.

Visiting Superior Court Judge Stephen Boswell, who is presiding over the

case, has ruled that the mediation should be closed to the public and

ordered all parties involved not to disclose any details from the negotiations.

The agreement

spells out how much the county can charge each municipality for holding

its prisoners. The charges are calculated based on each day an inmate

spends in the Fayette County Jail, with the initial rate set at $43.70.

However, the

agreement allows for a certain number of inmates for each city to be charged

at a reduced rate of $30 per inmate based on the municipality's average

daily inmate population for the previous fiscal year.

Mayor Steve

Brown told The Citizen Tuesday that he had been negotiating with County

Commission Chairman Greg Dunn on the matter.

Back

to News Home Page | Back

to the top of the page