The recent

revelations about the unsure financial footing of the Development Authority

of Peachtree City were not surprising to the former director of the city's

amphitheater, which the authority runs along with the city's tennis center.

Kristi Rapson

is suing the authority in federal court, saying she was paid unfairly

compared to the compensation of then-tennis center director Virgil Christian,

who is now the authority's executive director. The dispute led to her

resignation from the amphitheater before she filed the suit.

Rapson said

Wednesday that she feels bad for Christian, because she believes the authority

promoted him to that position to justify paying him a salary twice that

of Rapson's salary as amphitheater director.

"Virgil

is a great guy and I really hate to see how this has all unfolded,"

Rapson said, noting that she and Christian worked side by side as heads

of both venues working for the authority. "They put him there because

they were paying him more money than me."

Rapson said

the authority is to blame for the financial crisis because it has failed

to live up to its responsibilities.

"They

for many years have not been doing their job which they need to be doing,"

Rapson said.

And after Steve

Brown was elected mayor and started putting pressure on the authority

about its finances, Rapson feels the authority "moved the chess pieces

around to protect Virgil."

Rapson added

that the public shouldn't worry about losing the amphitheater and tennis

center because they are ultimately owned by the city.

"They

are two city facilities and they're not going away," Rapson said.

"Whoever ends up running them will work to see they remain the first-class

facilities they were meant to be."

Rapson's husband,

Steve Rapson, is a city councilman who was appointed to fill the unexpired

term of Robert Brooks, who resigned to pursue a position on the Development

Authority. Rapson was subsequently elected for a full term.

Kristi Rapson

has been working as a consultant for "small performance venues"

and is also doing freelance writing along with a nonfiction writing project.