and JOHN MUNFORD

[email protected]

Peachtree City's Airport

Authority will have to wait a little longer to get its hotel-motel

tax funds.

At its meeting Wednesday night,

the authority tabled an agreement from the city's Tourism Association

that spells out how the hotel-motel tax money will be forwarded to

the authority.

The association approved the agreement in a brief meeting that took

place one hour before the airport authority meeting.

Authority chairwoman Cathy Nelmes said the airport board, which owns

and operates Falcon Field, wanted its attorney to take a second look

at the language in the agreement and make a few changes suggested by

City Attorney Ted Meeker and authority attorney Doug Warner.

The authority uses the hotel-motel

tax funds for capital improvements to Falcon Field. The authority's

hotel-motel payments were suspended in November after improprieties

were found with the way the money was

forwarded to the authority; the tourism association was chosen to handle

that task because it has achieved federal nonprofit status.

In addition to approving the agreement for the airport authority, the

Tourism Association approved the hotel/motel tax agreement with Peachtree

City.

Authority member Murray Weed made motions for their approval, authority

chairperson Steve Rapson seconded the motions and the authority members

unanimously approved both motions.

The hotel/motel tax agreement with Peachtree City states that since

the Tourism Association has obtained IRS 501(c) 6 status, the city can

distribute 2/3 of the hotel/motel tax that the city currently receives

in revenues to the tourism authority.

The hotel/motel tax provided

to the association will be used to promote tourism, conventions and

trade shows. The Tourism Association's

agreement with the Airport Authority states that the Airport Authority

will receive 20 percent of the hotel/motel tax and that if the contract

is to be terminated in the future, the Airport Authority would receive

120 days notice.