Wednesday, January 9, 2002
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Wednesday, January 9, 2002 |
| Ex-mayor
defends his funding of PTC bond campaign
By JOHN MUNFORD
Though he is barely out of office, former Peachtree City Mayor Bob Lenox is being criticized for personally funding $4,000 in advertisements and pamphlets urging voters to approve projects on the city's bond referenda back in November. City Councilman Dan Tennant told The Citizen Monday that he felt Lenox should have "at least made his financial contributions to the cause public before the election, in the spirit of openness in our city government." Tennant claimed Lenox "secretly" funded the public relations blitz for the committee supporting the bond referenda. Lenox countered that the information indicating his contribution was filed on a record available to the public "and I could have hidden it if I had chosen to." "I'm damn proud of having put down the money for that," Lenox said, adding that he felt it was a mistake for voters to shoot down the items on the bond referendum that would have purchased Braelinn Baptist Church for use as a community center, renovated the Drake Field area, and added playgrounds and picnic shelters. "I'm perfectly willing to put my money where my mouth is," Lenox said, adding that he doesn't expect to be paid back at all, even though committee members are still promising to raise the money to repay him. Although the campaign disclosure form does not list Lenox's contribution as a loan, the former mayor said that's because he told committee chairman Tate Godfrey that he would rather it be listed as a contribution. "I lent the money to the campaign committee because I felt strongly about the bond issue," Lenox said. The campaign disclosure report for the PTC 2001 Bond Approval Committee was filed Dec. 31 in accordance with state election laws. The $4,097.53 attributed to Lenox was listed as an in-kind donation. Lenox said the committee had failed to raise funds to pay for the promotional material by the time they were needed, so he decided to pitch in. The contribution came after Oct. 25, the last date for filing a campaign disclosure form before the election. The report was filed timely by the next reporting deadline of Dec. 31, according to records. From the moment he presented the idea for the bond referendum, Lenox never claimed to be neutral on the issue. He spoke about the benefits the projects would have for the city at several council meetings, and he advocated supporting the bond projects after others withdrew their support after the economic downturn experienced after the terrorist attacks Sept. 11. Lenox served with a number of citizens on a committee to support the bond items and help promote the issue before the General Election in November. When the time came for the committee to pay for advertisements and mail brochures, no money had been raised, Lenox said. So the then-mayor decided to front the money, and members of the bond committee told him they would raise funds to pay him back. Tennant also criticized the fact that the brochures indicated the bond projects had the full support of the Peachtree City Council. But Lenox referred back to last year's City Council retreat when each council member agreed to support the bond issue. Lenox said he felt those who abandoned their support of the bond issue for political reasons due to the economic slowdown "should be shot, pardon my French." "At the retreat, every single council member agreed to support the bond referendum," Lenox said, adding that Tennant also made that pledge. Tennant told The Citizen that he thinks council's vote to present the projects to voters in the bond referendum was not indicative of council support for the projects. "It was in no way a vote of support for any of the individual issues, as the pamphlet clearly and very inaccurately stated," Tennant said.
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