When Bibb County was created from Monroe County in 1823, no official border was drawn. For 184 years, the counties have tried to agree on a border with no luck.

Bibb County Commission Chairman Charles Bishop wants to accept the county line as it is generally drawn on most maps. But Monroe County Commissioner Mike Bilderback says 1,000 acres of disputed land belongs to Monroe County, not Bibb. Bilderback wants a surveyor to decide where the line should be, but Bishop says that would be expensive for taxpayers.

Bilderback said, "It's about actually placing the line where it's supposed to be. It was never surveyed from 1823 'til now."

Bishop said, "It will be a legal nightmare for a surveyor to try to determine a line that existed that many years ago."

Bass Pro Shops distribution center sits on part of the disputed land. Bilderback also says if a surveyor established a different line, a number of other businesses and homes could be affected.

Governor Perdue picked a surveyor to settle the issue, but Bishop rejected that because the surveyor is a distant cousin of Bilderback.

At the Monroe County Commissioners meeting on September 4th, Commissioner Jim Ham proposed Monroe and Bibb County each choose a surveyor who would choose a third surveyor to set the line. Bibb County has not yet responded to that idea.

Source: 13WMAZ.com.

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