The Fayette Citizen-News Page

Wednesday, August 27, 2003

PTC hikes taxes, OKs vote on $4.9 million library bond

By J. FRANK LYNCH
jflynch@theCitizenNews.com

Peachtree City voters will be asked to approve a $4.9 million bond referendum to expand and renovate the city library in the Nov. 4 municipal election.

The City Council passed a resolution 4-0 Thursday night to formally put the issue to a vote. Councilman Dan Tennant was out of town on business and did not participate.

The choice for voters: Decide whether to increase city tax bills by an average or $26 a year to fund the library. They won't have a choice when it comes to the city's proposed FY'04 budget, which raises property taxes by an average of $46.60. Both figures are based on the approximate average value of a home in the city, or $200,000.

Before the library bond issue was considered, the council and staff spent more than an hour engaging 30 or so residents in a hearing on the budget, required by law because the plan will raise the city's tax rate by .58 mills to 5.283 mills, or 12.3 percent.

For the first time in recent history, property taxes will make up the largest source of revenue for the city, at 32 percent, a reality blamed on a shrinking share of county sales tax revenue, decline in the hotel-motel tax and general sluggish economy.

The combined $27.89 million budget includes $25.47 million in new appropriations and $2.3 million in carry-over items under the Public Improvement Program (PIP), primarily capital outlays associated with the Ga. Highway 54 West widening project, city staff say.

The operations portion of the budget grows 7.67 percent, said City Manager Barnard McMullen, mainly due to rising costs to employee health care and pension plans, and because line-items on street and cart path repair were transferred form the PIP budget to Public Works.

Public Works makes up the largest slice of planned expenditures, at 21 percent, although the public safety departments combined account for 35 percent of the total. Viewed seprately, Recreation and Leisure Services spending actually outstrips police spending, 17 percent to 16 percent of the total.

Maintaining the city's amenities and recreation facilities was a central issue in budget negotiations.

The Council is scheduled to give formal approval to the budget Sept. 4, about the same time the county is expected to release the tax digest and set the millage rate. The city's fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

Library patrons, meanwhile, were encouraged by the council to launch an aggressive campaign to get out the vote if they want the bond issue to pass.

"You can target this new library to your users," said Councilman Annie McMenamin, "but you must sell it to the voters."

Councilmen and others expressed confidence that the city's shaky financial footings wouldn't have a negative impact on the library vote. The two funding menchanisms are unrelated, said Mayor Steve Brown, since the library bond is a 15-year payback and won't overlap into the city's operating budget at all.

While there will be some increased expenses related to the operation of a much larger building, consultants who worked with the city's library staff designed the expansion so no additional personnel would be required, the council was told.

The addition would extend off the front and to the left of the current library building, and include a new children's section, lots of glass, a fireplace, a coffee shop and new entranceway and canopy/drop off area that will better connect it to City Hall, next door.

At least one citizen in attendance took issue with the fireplace, especially since the $4.9 million for the new library includes just $50,000 in books.

Andrea Brszoska, an 18-month resident of the city, said the fireplace was extravagant and potentially a safety hazard. But Barbara Swafford, who said she moved to the town in 1971 and recently returned after living in Brentwood, Tenn., a Nashville suburb, said the fireplace and other extras made the library "exciting."

Brentwood, with similar demographics to Peachtree City, already has a library like the one that has been proposed here, she said.

"People there have books and computers at home, but they choose to go to the library because they want to be there. It's such a warm and inviting place, an escape from what's going on around us," she said.

Library Commission members explained that the fireplace, coffee shop and other amenties were all designed to be "community drawing cards" and opportunities to level the field, so to speak, between the family that lives in the $500,000 house and the one that lives in near poverty.

And besides, they said, all the "extras" were the result of brainstorming sessions held with residents and library patrons.

Since parking and traffic patterns were the top complaints, that issue is being addressed with more spots proposed between the library and Lake Peachtree, to the rear.

Also proposed, but still in consideration, is a muncipal complex loop road, that would circle around the entire city government campus from Willowbend Road.