Small Counties on Edge Over Metro Atlanta Transit Debate

Fayette County is thinking about ducking out of the Commission to avoid paying for what some officials fear would be Atlanta-directed transportation projects. But some say the transportation funding would actually be a benefit to residents of this and other surrounding areas that commute to Atlanta for work.

"In the 10-county ARC, Fayette County is a relatively small player. Haddix and others believe that by aligning itself with the less populous Three Rivers Regional Commission, Fayette County might gain a louder voice in how its tax proceeds will be spent.

However, by leaving the ARC, residents of Fayette County would also ensure that their tax money is spent strengthening transportation ties to counties where they seldom travel, rather than to areas to the north where they work, shop and play. And as the rest of metro Atlanta knits itself closer together over time, to the exclusion of Fayette County, the county's prosperity and property values would decline."