Wednesday, August 6, 2003

One week before holding the budget hearing, council unanimously voted to spend $120,000 of your money to build a golf cart bridge across Ga. Highway 54 West connecting the Wynnmeade subdivision to nowhere. No golf cart paths exist on the south side of the highway. This follows spending $850,000 of your money to buy the land on the north side of the highway upon which they hope to build the bridge.

Mayor Steve Brown wants to blame his predecessor for everything from his budget shortfall to his failure to get anything accomplished in 18 months. If he had his way he would probably blame Bob Lenox for the loss of his job at the root canal office in Atlanta. Interesting how a root canal compares to our current plight.

Brown reports that the 4 percent tax increase of his predecessor was later deemed to be insufficient. Last year, staff recommended a 15 percent tax increase but at the behest of Councilman Dan Tennant, council voted to only increase taxes 9 percent. One must conclude based on the current situation that that too was insufficient. Seems like no matter how big the tax increase, the council still doesn't have enough.

Finally, Brown reports that the very staff members that should not have been hired in the 2000 budget are now indispensable. Steve wants it both ways: Bob Lenox shouldn't have hired these folks but Steve Brown can't do without them. Bob Lenox should have raised taxes more but Steve Brown's failure to raise taxes enough is acceptable.

Now lets get to Tennant's campaign for reelection and his "No new taxes" pledge. Last year Dan wouldn't listen to the staff. He didn't understand the financial numbers before him then just as he doesn't understand them now. Dan is running for reelection and he hopes that you will be foolhardy enough to believe that you can balance a budget while spending more than you make.

Dan Tennant is accusing Steve Brown of being a tax and spend liberal while he is being a spend and don't tax ignoramus. Perhaps Dan should take off his shoes and do the math.

"Dan, the Man" has voted for all the spending that has gone on this past 18 months. He has squandered taxpayer money and charged his long distance calls to the city (at the GMA convention in Savannah per open records). Probably the most telling is the fact that a week before suggesting cutting spending to avoid a tax increase he voted to spend $120,000 for the golf cart bridge to nowhere across Hwy. 54.

Apparently, Dan doesn't want you to realize that while he is pledging "no new taxes" and "cut spending," he is spending as if he owned the bank. His suggestion that we consider cutting staff indicates he has no idea of the actual state of affairs with which he is charged with oversight.

Between the two, Brown is probably the most suspect. His motivations are unknown and unknowable. Tennant on the other hand will say anything and vote anyway necessary to get reelected.

The financial predicament the city finds itself in is being seen throughout the country. The loss of income from investments coupled with reduced consumer spending is cutting into the tax money upon which governments feed. Having said that, our financial difficulties were not preordained. The unbridled spending of this council on pet projects and legal difficulties has compounded the tenuous situation that already existed.

To solve the problem now will require both cuts in spending and an increase in taxes. Given the past 18 months, we can expect this council will be unwilling or unable to cut spending and but will wholeheartedly endorse raising our taxes.

As an aside, Mayor Brown has budgeted to buy himself a new computer with taxpayer funds.

Gary Rower

Peachtree City

[Gary Rower was a candidate for mayor in the previous election; Brown was his opponent.]