Her smile and her manner are cheerful and helpful, but beneath the sweet exterior of Cheryl Burchfield beats the heart of a bill collector and Peachtree City loves her for it.

Burchfield is the "morning person" on the front desk at City Hall, and so is one of the first persons to greet the public. She says she really likes her secretary/receptionist job, shared with Linda Morton working afternoons. Working with the administrative services department of the city, Burchfield has collected over $50,000 owed to the city in occupational taxes, or business license fees.

"It's a complicated thing to keep up with," Burchfield says. "So what I did initially was to compare the telephone directory with the list of people who had paid the fees to operate a business in Peachtree City, and started calling." There were companies and home business operators who had not paid for as long as six years, she said. The city also has now developed better computer software for keeping track, Burchfield said, and her efforts to catch up will continue to prove effective for city revenues.

Burchfield and her husband Michael, a supervisor at Cooper Lighting, have lived in Sharpsburg for more than six years. She has worked with the city since earlier this year, starting as a temporary employee. Besides collecting fees, Burchfield handles solicitor's permits, garage sale permits, golf cart registrations and tourist information.

"It's never boring," she says, "I love working here. I especially like to tell people about Peachtree City, since we don't have a welcome center."