Friday, January 17, 2003
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Friday, January 17, 2003 |
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PTC officials dispute former mayor's claim they wasted money meant for roads By JOHN MUNFORD Peachtree City officials have responded to a critical letter to the editor from former mayor Bob Lenox that blames current mayor Steve Brown for spending money that could have been used for road projects such as the extension of TDK Boulevard. The city's response, which was faxed to The Citizen Thursday, says "... the city feels compelled to respond since Mr. Lenox's comments might be perceived as valid based on his status as a former elected official." In the letter to the editor, which was published in Wednesday's edition of The Citizen, Lenox alleged that Brown "squandered nearly a million dollars which was intended for critical road projects." Lenox said Brown's move to spend $842,775 to purchase approximately 5 acres at the entrance to the Wynnmeade subdivision off Ga. Highway 54 diverted money that was intended for other road projects. In response, the city's press release refutes Lenox's stance. The release cites several points, including: "There was never a 'balance of nearly a million dollars' of loan proceeds (from the Georgia Municipal Association loan) that were 'held in reserve for crucial road projects,' as stated in the (Lenox) letter." "During Mayor Brown's administration, approximately $635,000 of the $4.5 million GMA loan proceeds was diverted away from other projects and approximately $539,000 allocated for road projects, particularly Hwy. 54 West and the Huddleston/Dividend intersection." "Since all of the loan proceeds were originally allocated to projects, and there never was a reserve fund set aside for rods, we therefore could not have diverted funds from a (non-existent) contingency fund to use for other projects, such as land purchase." "The land acquisition of the Wynnmeade Parkway parcel had been discussed in executive session for a month and was approved by the public meeting by a 5-0 vote to insure that we protect (the) vital Hwy. 54 traffic corridor." "To date, Peachtree City is the only jurisdiction that has actually invested in the TDK Extension project and these funds came out of the council contingency (fund)." The city plans to use the property not only as a passive park area but also a location for a cart path bridge that will serve as the "gateway" entrance feature to Peachtree City for motorists driving in from Coweta County.
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