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Arterburn brings youth to mayor’s race

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizen.com

Michael Arterburn, at 33, is the youngest candidate who qualified to run against incumbent Steve Brown and four others for the mayor’s post in Peachtree City.

Arterburn lives in Bradford Estates and is a 1990 graduate of McIntosh High School. Last week, he told The Citizen that he wants to make Peachtree City more of what it was meant to be: “A small, close-knit community.”

One way to do that would be to limit the amount of large stores that can locate in the city to help preserve and encourage smaller businesses, Arterburn said.

“If you want to bring in a big business, don’t put it in the middle of the city, so you won’t have traffic congestion,” Arterburn said.

Businesses like Panasonic and Cooper Lighting are what the city needs more of, Arterburn said.

Accounting for time spent in the military and after graduation, Arterburn figures he has lived a total of 10 years in the city.

Arterburn recognizes that traffic is one of the biggest issues in the community. He said the widening of Ga. Highway 54 West to four lanes, now underway in earnest, should have been postponed until an alternate route between Peachtree City and Coweta County had been established.

A road to bypass the often-clogged intersection of Ga. Highways 54 and 74 is also necessary, Arterburn said. The widening of Hwy. 54 will ultimately benefit traffic in the area, he added.

The extension of TDK Boulevard into Coweta County is also important, Arterburn said.

“We still have new houses going up every day and that’s more new people who are coming into the city,” Arterburn said.

Arterburn also said he thinks its important for the city to come up with different activities for youths, something that hasn’t changed since he was at McIntosh.

“Really there aren’t many jobs out there for teenagers,” Arterburn said, adding that he is more in touch with the younger generation than other council candidates.

Arterburn said annexations benefit the city and helps lower the burden on taxpayers, but he added there are some situations where annexation might not be the right answer.

Arterburn said he agreed with the council’s decision earlier this year not to allow the Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church to be rezoned for commercial use. He cited the traffic problems that the proposed Walgreens drug store would create.

As for the legal limbo involving the $1.4 million in loans owed to Peachtree National Bank by the Development Authority of Peachtree City, Arterburn said if the city is obligated to pay the bill, it should do so.

The city and the DAPC have been sued for the funds, which were used to operate and add improvements to the city’s tennis center and amphitheater. Although the city’s Tourism Association is operating the venues now, it has not assumed the incurred loans.

City Attorney Ted Meeker has authored an opinion that the city is not obligated to pay off the DAPC loans.

Arterburn said he brings a different experience to the table than all other candidates in the race.

“I love this city,” Arterburn said. “I want to see this city thrive. I want to make the city better.”