Peachtree City remains the only one of Fayette County's four largest

municipalities to not urge passage of a Special Purpose Local Option Sales

Tax to fund road construction.

Last week, the town councils in both Brooks and Tyrone signed off on resolutions

encouraging residents to approve the SPLOST, which appears on Tuesday's

ballot.

If approved, the one-cent tax would raise an estimated $116 million over

five years to help fund a host of roadway improvements throughout Fayette

County.

Earlier this month, Fayetteville council members voted to endorse the SPLOST

as well, following the lead of the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce.

At a meeting of the Association of Fayette County Governments on Oct. 12,

Fayetteville Mayor Kenneth Steele urged the leaders of the other cities to

follow suit.

"I think it's incumbent upon us to work together for the good

of the community," said Steele.

But Peachtree City Mayor Steve Brown said his city's attorney, Ted

Meeker, had advised against the city taking a stand on the SPLOST, citing

laws that say governments aren't supposed to spend time or resources

showing support for or against any ballot initiative.

Interestingly, the same law firm of Sanders, Haugen, Sears & Meeker

represents both Peachtree City and Tyrone, which did pass a resolution in

support of the SPLOST.

Brown has been vocal in his opposition to the way the county intends to

divide up 30 percent of the SPLOST revenue among the cities, contending that

the split should be based on share of population.

With about 35 percent of the county's total population living within

Peachtree City, Brown claims the city should get a bigger slice of the pie.

With just days before voters decide the issue, Brown re-ignited his charge

that the county commission is violating the rules laid out in House Bill

709, passed by the legislature last session.

The new law requires that SPLOST revenue be distributed based on population

when counties and cities can't reach a compromise otherwise.

But the Fayette County Commission contends it isn't bound by the law

because if finalized details for November's referendum on the SPLOST

before the law went into effect on July 1.

Last week, Brown distributed a press release citing sources at the Georgia

Municipal Association confirming that Fayette County was the only one of

the governments in metro Atlanta that is choosing not to abide by the new

law.

"The county's actions are really disturbing because the county's

own legislative association approved of the new law that allows the local

elected officials in the cities to have a greater ability to solve their

infrastructure problems, and our county government proved that they did not

want that to happen," Brown charged.

But Steele disputed that.

"The intent of the (law) was not to force a split by population, but

to be the baseball bat to use in case of stalemates over SPLOST distribution," he

said. "If there was a hang-up in the negotiations, then you'd divide

it by population."

Steele said the various governments involved have always been "very

successful" in the past negotiating SPLOST distribution.

Meanwhile, turnout was light last week for the third and final public forum

on the SPLOST hosted by the Chamber of Commerce.

Fewer than a dozen persons turned out for the meeting at Sams Auditorium

in Fayetteville.

Officials say they have little indication how voters will decide on the

issue, which has been mostly overshadowed by the tight presidential election.