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Brown may run against Dunn

Also considering bid for second term as mayor

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

Peachtree City Mayor Steve Brown says he is considering running against Chairman Greg Dunn for a seat on the Fayette County Commission.

Brown acknowledged Friday that he needs to make a decision soon, as he plans to run for another term as mayor if he decides not to take on Dunn. If he decides to stay out of the commission race, Brown said he will run again for mayor “without a doubt.”

Several residents from north Fayette, Tyrone and a man from Brooks met with Brown recently and encouraged him to run against Dunn, Brown said.

“I’m thrilled there are people in the county out there who think I could do it,” Brown said, adding that such a campaign would be difficult “based on the geography involved.”

Brown has clashed with the county while in office, and he thinks it would help to have more of a “grassroots” candidate on the commission. One recent issue with the county is the concept of cutting county taxes paid by Peachtree City residents because they don’t receive EMS service from the county because the city provides it. The commission totally rebuffed the idea at a recent meeting.

Brown also said the city has gotten the short end of the financial stick with the county for recreation funds, and he thinks the commission is often short-sighted when it comes to planning, particularly for senior housing, which Brown has been trumpeting for some time as having a significant benefit.

Senior residents don’t put stress on the school system or the road network, and they also pay taxes, Brown noted.

“They don’t allow any imagination or creativity in the process,” Brown said of the commission’s handling of development plans.

Brown was also critical of the county’s lawsuit against Sheriff Randall Johnson regarding the jail turning away prisoners arrested by county marshals. Brown argues that the marshal’s department is duplicating services “and there’s nothing good in suing the sheriff.”