MACON, Ga. — A runway expansion project at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport has landed Macon-Bibb County in the middle of a new legal battle.
Chamblee-based construction company Precision 2000 inked a $2.2 million deal with the county on Nov. 10, 2022, tasking the company with constructing a retaining wall at the airport.
But in June 2023, the Macon-Bibb County Attorney's office sent a letter to Precision 2000 terminating the contract.
For seven months, the county said construction had come to a standstill over issues with the property, which "caused [a] lengthy and unreasonable delay" outside the control of both the county and the company.
"As you may be aware, the County discovered unexpected conditions on the property which require significant alterations in the scope of the work for the project.... It is now in the best interest of the County and Middle Georgia Regional Airport to terminate the aforementioned Agreement and rebid the project," the county wrote.
That meant the project wasn't necessarily dead; it just meant the county wanted to allow other companies to put in new proposals due to the changes.
They invited Precision to submit a new bid, but the company's president Carlos Sanchez replied to the letter only six days later arguing Macon-Bibb County couldn’t legally do that.
"The termination of the contract by the County seems to be rooted in convenience rather than any legally justifiable grounds," Sanchez wrote.
The lawsuit says the county's termination "was unauthorized, unjustified, in bad faith, and wrongful."
According to Sanchez, the only grounds for termination included in the contract were "due to national emergencies."
Precision said in the letter that the county was still on the hook for over $635,000. It is unclear if that was what remained in the contract, or if that was simply what was due at the point the contract was terminated.
But in the lawsuit, they're also seeking interest and attorney fees.
"We assert that the County's action in this matter not only lacks legal basis but also fails to adhere to the principles of fairness and transparency," the letter read.
The lawsuit doesn't ask for a specific amount of financial compensation. Instead, they pass those considerations to the trial phase of the litigation.
The lawsuit was filed in Bibb Superior Court last week.
A lawsuit is only one side of a legal dispute. Macon-Bibb County has yet to respond in court, but Bibb County did issue a statement to 13WMAZ.
"We do not comment on pending litigation, but we will vigorously defend the county's interest in this case," county spokesperson Chris Floore wrote.