Fairburn's kids and adults

have just over a week left to use the amenities of Duncan Park before

Fulton County shuts it down Sept.15.

Fulton County officials announced

earlier this week the park would be closed for good the middle of this

month.

The closure marks the end of

a long-running feud between Fulton and Fairburn officials over who should

pay for the operation of the park.

The problem started when U.S.

Census figures released in 2001 pegged Fairburn's population at over 5,000.

Earlier, Fairburn had annexed the park into the city limits and Fulton

County Commissioner Bill Edwards said a law requires that a municipality

must start paying for a facility when it reaches 5,000 population.

"I've put more than $1

million into that park. I can't do it any more. It's their park,"

he said.

Edwards noted that other Fulton

County cities, such as Union City, have started paying operating costs

for parks after they have annexed them, and now it's Fairburn's time to

start paying the costs.

But the problem is that yearly

operating costs are more than $500,000 and Fairburn doesn't collect that

much in tax revenue.

During discussions over the

fate of the park, Edwards had suggested the town impose a recreational

tax on the citizens to pay for the park.

Fairburn officials maintained

the law does not require them to pay for the park and both sides' attorneys

are offering different interpretations of the law.

But in the end, despite meetings

between attorneys from both jurisdictions, a deal could not be reached

to save the park.