Wednesday, December 18, 2002
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Wednesday, December 18, 2002 |
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Authority members decline to resign
By JOHN MUNFORD
To say the Development Authority of Peachtree City was caught off guard by last week's request from Mayor Steve Brown for a mass resignation might just be an understatement. But it appears the mayor's request won't be honored, as all seven authority members attended the authority's regular meeting Monday night. And Tuesday morning Brown backed off his stance somewhat. "I called for the resignations out of absolute and utter frustration over not being about to get things done appropriately and properly," Brown said. "We're talking about taxpayer money and city facilities." At Monday's authority meeting, authority member Scott Bradshaw said to his knowledge, none of the authority members intended to resign from their post. "We're just trying to do our job and do it well and we believe we have done that," said authority chairman Tate Godfrey. "We're proud of the authority's record and its members and the work they do." Brown told The Citizen last week that he wanted the entire authority to resign, including its executive director, Virgil Christian. Brown said he felt the authority has mismanaged city funds, particularly due to recent cost overruns associated with the recent expansion of the tennis center, which added six covered courts and an office building that includes a restaurant and pro shop. Authority officials have contended the overruns for the project, which total $287,000, were unavoidable. The entire project was originally budgeted for $2.5 million. The overruns include $25,000 for overages on the construction of the covered tennis courts and $23,000 to the architect of the project, Christian said. Since his call for the resignations last week, Brown said, "I think we have a much better tone now." Brown's request for the resignations came weeks after council approved a long-sought agreement to cut the authority's share of the city's hotel-motel tax revenues. In exchange, council agreed to take on the authority's $1.45 million in debt that has accrued since it took over the operations of the amphitheater and tennis center. Most of that debt was accrued in building the tennis center and adding improvements to both facilities, according to authority records. After Brown's resignation request last week, the committee that brokered the new hotel-motel tax deal met twice to discuss the issues. That committee included authority members Robert Brooks, Brian Palmitessa and Doug Warner along with council members Dan Tennant and Murray Weed. Brooks told the authority Monday night that from those meetings, it has been determined that "really nothing has changed" and that Tennant and Weed were looking into the best avenue for the city to assume the authority's debt. Brown wants to create a recreation authority to issue bonds to retire the debt, which he said would save the city on financing costs. Since a new authority would require enabling legislation, time is of the essence, Brown said Tuesday. But a new recreation authority issuing bonds may not be the only option, Brooks said at Monday's authority meeting. The committee also decided it would be a good idea to develop a joint statement from both parties saying "that we are back on track," Brooks said. "It has been a difficult time for all of us," said authority member Doug Warner. "I ask that we all try to go forward with a positive attitude and try to get this thing resolved." Godfrey lauded the committee's work,, noting they devoted "a lot of their personal time" to the issue.
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