Peachtree City has to search

for a new city attorney now that current city attorney Rick Lindsey has

tendered his resignation effective Sept. 30.

Lindsey's resignation was accepted

Thursday night. He offered to stay on until the end of September to insure

a smooth transition to the next city attorney.

Lindsey told The Citizen Friday,

"I believe it's in my best interest to resign. It's a good time for

me to go."

"I'm cleared by the special

counsel," Lindsey said Friday afternoon, referring to the report

that found no evidence he or others acted illegally in negotiating hotel-motel

tax contracts with the city's development and airport authorities last

year.

The city will prepare requests

for proposals from law firms wishing to represent the city as either city

attorney, solicitor or both jobs, said Public Information Officer Betsy

Tyler. But council will also consider hiring a separate attorney to work

in-house for both positions, she added.

Lindsey, 44, who also serves

as the city's municipal court prosecutor, has been with the city for almost

11 years.

Mayor Steve Brown has been

one of Lindsey's staunchest critics during the dispute over the legality

of the hotel-motel tax contracts, which were executed last year by then-Mayor

Bob Lenox. The special attorney hired to compile the report, Winston Denmark,

concluded that the contracts are invalid.

Brown and Lindsey have a somewhat

contentious history relating to a lawsuit filed against Brown and The

Citizen newspaper early in 2000 over a letter to the editor in which Brown

criticized Lindsey's law partner, James Webb, in his capacity as city

attorney.

Following that publicity, Brown

ran for mayor in 2001 and won, taking office in January 2002, the same

month Lindsey was reappointed as city attorney.

Denmark recommended to council

it should take the matter to court to have the contracts declared invalid.

"On behalf of the City

Council, I would like to thank Rick for the untiring service that he provided

for Peachtree City," Brown said in a written statement. "Rick

graciously offered to remain in his post until Sept. 30 in order to provide

a smooth transition and we gladly accepted his generous offer."

In his letter of resignation,

Lindsey said he decided to resign "after much thought and deliberation."

"It has been my pleasure

to serve as Peachtree City's attorney these many, many years," Lindsey

wrote in his resignation. "I wish you the best and hope that you

will serve the citizens of our city well."