|
|
|
Posted: 8:23 PM Feb 4, 2010
Service delivery dispute: Hearing set for sanctions
Days after officials missed a court-imposed deadline to settle a service dispute, officials have another deadline before them. A Feb. 18 hearing has been scheduled to determine if sanctions promised by the judge for missing the Feb. 1 deadline will be immediately imposed after a state agency said the punishment would be delayed for a month.
Reporter: By Heather Darenberg and Camie Young, Staff WritersEmail Address: heather.darenberg@gwinnettdailypost.com, camie.young@gwinnettdailypost.com |
|
3 Comments 
LAWRENCEVILLE — Days after officials missed a court-imposed deadline to settle a service dispute, officials have another deadline before them.
A Feb. 18 hearing has been scheduled to determine if sanctions promised by the judge for missing the Feb. 1 deadline will be immediately imposed after a state agency said the punishment would be delayed for a month.
Gwinnett mayors held a press conference Thursday defending the latest motion in a yearlong dispute with the county. This time, they are asking the judge to remove the qualified local government status from Gwinnett and its cities to force negotiations to resume.
“The cities believe that the duty of the elected officials of Gwinnett County is to reach an agreement rather than have one imposed by a judge,” said Norcross Mayor Bucky Johnson, the chairman of the Gwinnett Municipal Association. “Unfortunately, we see sanctions as the only remedy to resolving this gridlock.
“We believe that the immediate settlement of the SDS litigation is advantageous for all citizens of Gwinnett County. ... The SDS law and the judge’s rulings must be followed for there to be tax equity in Gwinnett County.”
Gwinnett’s chairman has said the punishment — which would mean that the county and cities lose out on state grants and permits — isn’t necessary to negotiate.
The Feb. 18 hearing is just 10 days before the Georgia Department of Community Affairs has said the sanctions will go into effect.
Phillip Beard, the chairman of the Buford City Commission, said county and city leaders have been in touch, but the communication hasn’t been fruitful.
“We talk, but it doesn’t get anywhere,” Beard said. “They’re trying to change the law. ... This is not something the cities made up. We’re abiding by the law.”
Latest Comments
The state law is clear on this, and the county refuses to abide by it. I realize that this will peel away some of the taxes paid to the county by approximately 23% of the tax digest, and the county cannot afford any more losses in income. The county has not acted in good faith in this - they seem to wish to ignore the law. The arrogance is no longer amusing; neither is the misinformation being spread by the county concerning the SDS.
Roska, I don't think that your precepts are accurate regarding that blanket endorsement of Bannister. I do believe that the Uberholtzer would not have endorsed him as such - I think he actually endorsed Lorraign Greene, P.E.. Ironically, this actually allied the Uberholtzer with Uncle Wayng because the Masonic faction does not like Bannister politically either. Funny how things work. But, the Gwinnett Municipal Association under the "aegis" of Suwanee mouthpiece and tool Big Dave Williams among others has bungled pretty much everything pertinent to the Citites' negotiations with the County.
I remember the mayors (Gwinnett Municipal Association or something like that) endorsing Bannister in the last election. Now they are all whining because Bannister won't give them what they want. Perhaps the mayors should have thought twice about supporting the Bannister regime in the first place? And, as always, we taxpayers will be forced to pay for the legal fees because our political "leaders" are too incompetent to do their jobs.
