Madison Co., AT&T settle dispute over $84,867.42 check

Madison County has settled their dispute with AT&T.

On June 25, AT&T wrote an $84,867.42 check to Madison County to cover back franchise fees.

The franchise fees were part of an agreement between AT&T and the county of Madison, reimbursing the county for the corporate giant's use of Madison County roads to provide U-verse service to residents, according to Madison comptroller Shelton Vance.

U-verse is a fiber-optic high speed internet, television and digital phone bundle plan, according to the company's website.

During the June 22 supervisors' meeting, Vance told the board AT&T had inadvertently sent the franchise fee checks to the city of Madison, instead of Madison County.

Shelton said he felt AT&T was taking longer than necessary to reimburse the county and asked the board for permission to pursue legal action.

Three days later, AT&T wrote the county a check and sent Madison Clerk Ronnie Lott a letter, blaming the situation on "a clerical oversight."

In the letter, Linda Fisher, Executive Director of Tax for AT&T, said the checks were "inadvertently sent to the City of Madison."

AT&T representative Tarvis Thompson declined to provide The Clarion-ledger with copies of the checks. Thompson said via email, "The county of Madison has been paid in full." She declined to comment further.

Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler said Monday the checks were made out to the city. Explaining the confusion, Butler noted the city also receives franchise fee checks from AT&T. Regardless, Butler said the city would pay back the funds.

"AT&T and the city of Madison will certainly work out the situation and AT&T will be reimbursed," Butler said.

Contact Sarah Fowler at sfowler@gannett.com or (601) 961-7303. Follow @FowlerSarah on Twitter.