Wednesday, June 12, 2002
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Wednesday, June 12, 2002 |
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Watch out, PTC council is spending recklessly A few issues ago a letter writer wrote a letter stating that although he didn't attend Peachtree City Council meetings, the mayor and council were doing a good job. Well, I would highly recommend that this individual, as well as every other citizen, start attending meetings and keep track of the mayor and council. During the last meeting, the council voted to spend a mere $825,000 to buy five acres of land at the entrance to Wynnmeade subdivision and build a recreational area and golf cart bridge. This money will only buy the property; the bridge and park are extra. This proposal met with mixed reviews by citizens at the meeting, not because it is a bad idea, but because Mayor Brown, Councilman Weed, and Councilman Rapson all, during their campaigns, unequivocally maintained that decisions involving this high an expenditure of taxpayer money should be done by a vote of the citizens. When asked that very point, Mayor Brown stated that this was "different" than last year's bond that was defeated. "Different?" Well, that's one way of explaining his position. Now personally, I agree with protecting the entrance to Wynnmeade, but is this a reasonable and timely expense? This issue was a tough call and I guess we will see how it works out. The "Dog Park" issue was more cut and dry (and certainly ended up providing greater entertainment value). Basically, Councilman Weed proposed setting aside a section of land at the Kedron Fieldhouse area for use as a dog park. It would be fenced in, have some landscaping around it, and have a water fountain for the dogs and people. Total initial cost, $14,150. Sounds pretty boring. Not when all don't agree. Councilwoman McMenamin brought up the fact that a number of high priority issues were yet to be funded and that this expense may be unwise at this time. That was when the entertainment began. Apparently Councilman Weed doesn't appreciate not having everyone support his "pet" projects. His discussion with Ms. McMenamin got somewhat heated, and when citizens stood up to express support for Ms. McMenamin's position, Mr. Weed's arrogance really took off. Fortunately after an extended and heated discussion period, the proposal died due to a tie vote. Mr. Rapson and Ms. McMenamin voted no, Mayor Brown and Mr. Weed voted yes. Even though absolutely no one stepped forward in favor of the dog park, Mayor Brown and Mr. Weed both still voted for it and constantly maintained that "many" citizens had contacted them in favor of the park (just none showed up at the meeting). The problem is pretty basic. The mayor pointed out early in the meeting that the medical costs for the city have risen substantially, and by that they meant in excess of $150,000! They recently raised concerns about loss of revenue from the hotel/motel tax and appealed to the Development Authority and Airport Authority for help, and now are paying a special prosecutor to investigate their contract. And after this constant cry of poverty, they commit to nearly $1 million to buy property, and still having money in the coffers, Mayor Brown and Mr. Weed want another $14,000 to fence in land and provide a $2,000 water fountain for dogs! When Brown and Weed campaigned for their offices, they both talked up fiscal responsibility as a major priority. Why haven't they lived up to their promises? I think the most distressing part of this meeting was not the huge debt we incurred without citizen input, it was not the dog park, it wasn't even Mr. Weed's anger when questioned by citizens. What was most distressing was Brown's and Weed's willingness to spend our money (that's right, your money and my money) on projects that no one wants. I was shocked when Mayor Brown announced that the contingency fund is down to $46,000 and we still have four months left in the fiscal year! And they both wanted to take $14,000 of that money to build a dog park that no one really wants! Now is that what we call responsible government? As I said at the beginning, if you don't attend city council meetings, you better start. Mayor Brown and Councilman Weed are spending your money foolishly. It is time you take an active interest and see for yourself if this is the government that you thought you were electing. If no one had spoken out, we would be the proud owners of a $14,000 dog park. I bet most of you can think of something that would benefit the entire community more than a dog park that no one wants. As a matter of interest, is there really anyone out there who is going to drive their dogs to Kedron to let them run in a fenced area with no grass? Or will most dog owners continue to walk along the beautiful paths like they always have? Jim Stinson Peachtree City
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