In an effort to resolve questions

over Peachtree City's hotel-motel tax contracts, the city council is slated

to meet separately with its development and airport authorities in a special

workshop session beginning Thursday at 6 p.m.

A special attorney hired by

the city has determined that the contracts are invalid because the versions

signed last year by then-Mayor Bob Lenox were different than the versions

approved by the city council. Council has taken no official action on

the matter, but attorney Winston Denmark has recommended a lawsuit should

be filed to declare the contracts invalid.

Addressing council about the

matter at a public hearing Thursday night, Lenox noted that only a court

can declare the contracts invalid.

"Every single bit of work

done by Mr. Denmark is inadmissable (in court)," Lenox said, adding

that in his opinion "the money (for Denmark's report) was wasted

unless it was done to intimidate the authorities."

Robert Brooks, a member of

the city's development authority, told council that the authority hopes

to use Thursday's meeting to "get some ideas on the table ... and

it needs to go beyond the intergovernmental agreements."

The contracts spell out how

much of the city's hotel-motel tax revenues each authority will get for

operating the city's airport, tennis center and amphitheater. The contracts

which Lenox signed required that both the city and authority agree if

the funding levels are to change while the original version approved by

council left that up to the sole discretion of the city.

Lenox and others have contended

that each council member was made aware of the changes through an e-mail

and in paperwork placed on the dais before the June 7, 2001 council meeting,

but in the special report attorney Winston Denmark indicated that was

not the case.

Lenox complimented Denmark's

work, however, although he said the report coincided with the "results"

sought by council.

"A lot of people have

been accused of a lot of things to get here tonight," Lenox said.

"... We need to quit inferring anything wrong was done."

The most scathing words about

the contract flap, however, came from a member of the audience at the

meeting, Tonya Holder, who accused the council of using the dispute for

political gain.

"You guys should for once

do something in the public's interest and stop doing things for your political

interest," Holder said, noting that she feels average citizens are

tired of the dispute, leading to a lack of faith in city government.

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