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Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005
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PTC mayor, ex-mayor spar
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com When political adversaries Steve Brown and Bob Lenox faced off at lunch Friday, with local news reporters present, there were some fireworks as expected. Brown, the current mayor, and Lenox, his immediate predecessor, have clashed over the past few years, with Lenox once trying to have Brown arrested for stealing city services when a city employee picked up Browns daughter at golf camp. Brown has derided Lenox numerous times in the past for his relationships with local developers, and accused Lenox of ethical lapses during his administration. So yes, there was some contentious conversation at lunch Friday at Romanos Macaroni Grill in Peachtree City. But surprisingly enough, the two also figured out they shared some common ground. They agreed that the county is continuing to overtax city residents, in essence charging for certain services already provided by the city, such as emergency medical services and recreation. They also agreed that a possible annexation in the West Village could be good for the city, if the developer is willing to bring enough extra to the table to benefit the city in terms of infrastructure. Not all of the exchange witnessed by news reporters invited to attend was so rosy, however. Lenox rebuked Brown for attacking his integrity over the years. Im not the mayor anymore, Steve, Lenox said. You are, and I respect that. The fact of the matter is, and I told you before, if you do not attack my integrity I will leave you alone. But if you continue to attack my integrity which you did, once again, in your state of the city speech, Im going to eat your lunch. Lenox also asked Brown to admit that Lenox didnt profit from his service as mayor. Brown replied he couldnt say that. I wont say it because I dont know, Brown said. Later, Brown asked Lenox, How do you know I didnt make any money? Because I trust you, Steve, Lenox replied. Youre not a dishonest guy. Steve youre a moron, youre not dishonest. ... Ive questioned your intelligence, Ive questioned your judgment. Ive questioned your decision-making capability, but Ive never questioned your integrity. Brown later said that some of Lenoxs friends made a lot of money during his administration. Name a friend of mine who made a lot of money, Lenox said. Im sure Tom Farr doing all the Development Authority bonds and all that stuff, Brown replied, referring to Farrs leadership at Peachtree National Bank during his service on the Development Authority. That drew a stern response from Lenox: If I werent a polite guy, Id spit in your face. For you to say bad things about Tom Farr is absolutely disgusting. That man had more honor in his little fingernail than you got in your whole damn body. Dont tell me that my friend Tom Farr made money. Tom Farr gave to this community. Brown also noted that while Lenox was on council, several annexations were approved for PCDC, the predecessor to developer Pathway Communities, despite a moratorium on annexations that was in place. Lenox said he was friends with PCDC official Steve Black, but so what? Every single person that I ever did business with when I was the mayor, they were my friend second and I was the mayor of Peachtree City first and I would do the very best that I could to get the very best for Peachtree City, Lenox said. Brown also said the city shouldnt have bought the sewer system for about $20 million under Lenoxs leadership. In fact, Lenox said, only $6.6 million went to PCDC for the purchase. The rest of the $27 million was used to fix the aging system and to pay the expenses of the transaction, which were high because it took a lot of surveying work. The amount of money the shareholders of that company got was $6.6 million and you dont even know that, Lenox said, referring to the purchase price the city paid PCDC. If the sewer system had to be rebuilt completely, it would have cost $55 million, but it was purchased for $6.6 million and fixed for another $20 million, Lenox added. We ended up paying $26 million for a sewer system that is now regarded as much better than average, Lenox said. Lenox also explained his support of the transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax approved by voters in November. Lenox joined all the citys other living mayors in support of the SPLOST referendum, along with the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce. Brown was a vehement opponent of the SPLOST, arguing that the city should have gotten a larger share of the funds instead of the county. The citys take in the referendum, about $11 million, is enough to get all of the citys road projects planned from 2005 through 2011 with the exception of three, Lenox said: a railroad bridge at the northern entrance to Kedron Drive, a northeast collector road and a roundabout for Planterra Way near the tennis center. The bridge project should be abandoned since the property isnt even in the city, unless the property is annexed and then the developer should pay for that improvement, Lenox said. The northeast collector road should be funded by the developer in the area who has landlocked property and the roundabout because I just didnt see the need for a roundabout in that location, Lenox said. I also added in $400,000 to finish TDK, Lenox said, referring to the stagnant road project which will ultimately extend TDK Boulevard into Coweta County, providing an alternate route particularly for employees in the citys industrial park. Brown noted that the SPLOST didnt include any funds for improving the intersection of Ga. highways 54 and 74. They asked us for projects totaling $11 million, Brown said. Its not that we didnt have projects exceeding $11 million. I simply wanted you to know that the opposition you encountered to the SPLOST had nothing to do with the fact that Were just gonna oppose Steve Brown for the sake of opposing Steve Brown, Lenox said. This kind of analysis was done. ... From our point of view there was sufficient money here to protect the interests of Peachtree City, and this was the time to do it. And, Lenox added, the road SPLOST has been seen as a need for many years, dating back to the administration of former Mayor Fred Brown. Lenox and Brown also discussed the need to realign Rockaway Road, the artery onto Ga. Highway 74 that serves Senoia. Traffic backs up during drive time, largely due to the volume because the intersection is not signaled. The City Council has turned down a rezoning for the property that included realigning Rockaway Road with a traffic light that serves the Wilshire Pavilion retail complex. Brown noted that the proposal was changed at the last minute before a council vote with the addition of a multi-family housing component. That was the only thing that killed the deal last time, Brown said. Lenox suggested if the need is considered urgent, the city could condemn the land if necessary and take out a loan so it would be fixed by summer. The projects cost listed in the countys transportation plan is $515,000, Lenox noted. Id build that sucker, Steve, Lenox said. Brown said the current landowner has been offered $4 million for the property, but Lenox noted that price would likely be for a residential use, not for the currently zoned use of light industrial. Brown said the owner of the property has been working with the city and ideas are being exchanged. Brown said he would classify the Rockaway realignment as a priority. We have 4,200 cars on Rockaway Road today and 900 homes in the process of being built, on the Coweta County side, Brown noted. The city has other priorities, Brown added, including catching up with work on its cart path system. The city also wants to avoid a millage increase, he added. The city is hoping to get a developer on the project that will offer a use compatible with the nearby Falcon Field airport and the city, Brown said. If I can get Rockaway done for free, then yeah, Rockaway ought to be done for free, Brown said. That means you can spend $500,000 or whatever that number is on other projects. Lenox said he agreed. Lenox also asked Brown why the City Council ultimately dropped the tax equity lawsuit it filed against the county during Lenoxs administration. Brown replied that the city was promised that discussions would take place which havent come to fruition. |
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2004-Fayette Publishing, Inc.
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