Residents traveling

Ga. Highway 34 should soon see the road come to life with beautification

efforts.

But the discussion

to improve the landscaping on the busy road caused one County Commissioner

to threaten to quit paying part of his property taxes.

Commission

chairman Leigh Schlumper has worked for nearly two years to tray and get

the corridor landscaped and beautified.

"DOT crews

only cut it twice a year, if then," she said.

Schlumper had

staged a town hall meeting in her district two weeks ago to gauge resident's

feelings on the issue. She had proposed a special tax district to pay

for the maintenance of the road, but some of the residents were opposed

to it.

On Tuesday

night during the County Commission meeting, Schlumper proposed the county

enter into a contract with the DOT at an annual cost of more than $20,000

to do the maintenance for 3.2 miles of the road near Interstate 85.

The motion

caused a stern reaction from Commissioner Vernon "Mutt" Hunter.

"It's

double taxation. You're taxing people who live in Haralson and Grantville

who are not really affected by that road," he said.

Hunter said

he had plenty of roads in his district that also needed maintaining.

But Commissioner

Larry DeMoss looked differently on the issue.

"It's

a safety issue and we have a real problem with trash out there,"

he said.

Resident John

Birmingham, who lives in the area, agreed something had to be done about

the road.

"The beautification

of 34 is an investment. It will cause property values to rise," he

said.

Schlumper,

DeMoss and Commissioner Greg Tarbutton voted to find the money in the

budget and enter into the contract with DOT.

Commissioner

Robert Wood abstained, while Hunter angrily opposed it.

"I will

deduct it from my tax bill. I will not pay it," he said.

Later in the

meeting, Hunter asked the board to send out a proposal to determine the

cost of beautifying and maintaining three miles on several other roads

in the county including Ga. Highway 16 near Senoia, and the intersection

of Ga. highways 54 and 154. When the motion passed unanimously, Hunter

recanted his threat of not paying his taxes.