Next Monday's Fairburn City

Council meeting could be a showdown over the South Fulton Regional Water

and Sewerage Authority.

Late last month, City Councilman

Harvey Melear balked at being part of the group.

"I don't want to pay for

Palmetto's and Union City's sewer," he said.

Melear said he never remembered

meeting about regional sewer issues and didn't think Fairburn taxpayers

should have to shoulder the costs of something that could have a bigger

impact on the other authority members in the organization.

Both city administrator Jim

Williams and town attorney Brad Sears explained that Fairburn taxpayers

would only have to pay for the percentage of sewerage treatment the town

actually used.

Sears also explained taxpayers

would only have to pony up extra money if revenues from the sewerage did

not meet the costs of the system and the town chose not to raise sewerage

rates.

He also added that fairburn

would only be responsible for its portion of the costs, and would not

be liable for any of Palmetto's and Union City's costs.

The City Council will decide

whether to sign an operations agreement with the authority during Monday

night's 7:30 p.m. meeting.