The Coweta

County Commission staged its annual changing of the guard Tuesday as Commissioner

Leigh Schlumper took over as the new chairman.

Outgoing chairman

Jim McGuffey thanked his fellow commissioners and the staff for all the

help during his eight years of service.

Commissioners

Robert Wood and Vernon "Mutt" Hunter were elected with McGuffey

eight years ago and bid him a fond farewell.

But shortly

after Schlumper took over the gavel, the contentious behavior of the commission

kicked into high gear.

The new chairman

had a list of the proposed meetings for 2003, which came under fire from

Hunter.

Schlumper had

only one meeting scheduled for April since the board would be at a county

government conference.

"I just

don't see how you can conduct the business of this county with only one

meeting a month," he said.

The commission

also has one meeting scheduled for November and December because of the

holidays. The commissioners decided to stage a meeting shortly before

their public hearings during the month.

Another controversial

items was Schlumper's suggestion that Robert's Rules of Order be used

to govern the meetings.

"If that's

being done to stop my filibustering, I can't support it," said Wood.

The leaders

agreed to use it and appointed county attorney Mitch Powell as parliamentarian.

Also, new commissioners

Greg Tarbutton and Larry DeMoss took office.