Was Bob Craft posting on here before the election? I missed it somehow. Which one was he? Did he actually support Brown?
meow

Ex-Mayor Brown didn't lose me over the tennis center baloney (could not possibly care less who runs it) or the fact that he annoyed the Old Guard (often a good thing). He lost me on his inexplicable support for allowing the Lutherans to sell out to a 24-hour Walgreens, which would have degraded a signature intersection and made a joke out of 40 years of planning.
Here's hoping Harold will prove to be more than just a front man for the yesteryear crowd.

People like you are yhose who allow crooks to build things like the Tennis Taj Mahal with tax money. Who runs it is not the problem. Are you willing to come up with your share to pay the two million blown on fancy pros and mismanagement?

The debt should be paid. The money was borrowed. Hard to put a price on what the amenities like the Tennis Center, Amphitheater etc do for our home values and overall quality of life.

As far as the "crooks" comment, just who is in jail, or indicted for wrong doings regarding this?

Why would our Attorney tell our officials not to pay the debt? If it is not a legal obligation, then it is illegal and wrong to pay with our money. Crooks have to be caught to put them in jail. A few have been caught recently in Washington and Texas.

Agree.

And what is with this increases my quality of life or increases my home and such value? Yeesh!

Maybe the guy lives in Planterra. Two million paid over 20-30 years becomes four million and raises our taxes considerably for something that most don't use. As to home values, let the bank own it.

Nor do I use the Tennis Center. I am smart enough to realize that not everyone can appreciate (or care for that matter) what amenities in PTC do for the quality of life. It's ok to agree to disagree.

I understand amenities for residence' use increases the quality of life for PTC whether I use them or not. As does swimming, playgrounds, senior center and so on.

But the Tennis Center went beyond that as a competition center. That does nothing for PTC quality of life.

And the membership fees make it a facility appealing only to a small minority.

It does nothing for my home value and it does nothing for the general quality of life as the other facilities actually do.

New points, well taken. The whole thing was plotted and schemed by a few for their benefit and they got caught!!

I do disagree. I simply don't understand the motive anyone might have to just pay it out of the blue! Especially since the town attorney said do not pay it.

I agree. Let the courts decide here.

For some, I believe the motive is somehow trying to give PTC some kind of Wow! reputation beyond the respectable one it already has.

I moved here about 1 1/2 years ago from Henry County, thank goodness for that, but I digress. I know that money (1-1.5 Million) was borrowed by either the City or the "Tourism Department" on behalf of the City. It is my understanding that improvements were made to "The Fred" and the Tennis Center was built, or expanded or improved, not so sure.

Is there any doubt the City borrowed the money? Why would the courts need to be involved if the city borrowed the money? Seems like a waste of money paying an attorney to state the obvious (but that's what they are good at). It seems cut and dried to me, but maybe I'm just uneducated on this issue.

It is not cut and dry.

The Development Authority, not PTC, was the central agent. The Authority is not part of the PTC government.

On top of that the bank involved had people at various times sitting both the bank and Authority.

There are no records involved in many areas. No clear cut PTC commitments have been established, in a number or areas, in spite of many conflicting claims.

The court really needs to sort this all out and get to the bottom of it all.

GBI said there are Authority issues needing investigation. Independent lawyers said don't pay it. There is governing State Authority establishment laws governing several issues. Council was advised not to pay and voted not to pay 5-0.

Let the courts sort this out. It is a mess that should never have happened.

Several times I've seen you and others indignantly claim that "the bank involved had people at various times sitting [on] both the bank and Authority." Though I there is some dispute on that question, I'm not here to argue that. Rather, I have to ask why it doesn't it bother you that the City and the Tourism Association have a much greater overlap in membership? That is, the members of the Tourism Association have included at various times at least two city council members and two city employees. So the City Council appointed themselves and their "employees" to man the board. Sounds like a major conflict for an agency that is supposedly "independent" of City Council.

I have not said a word about Tourism because it has nothing to do with this issue. That is another issue altogether.

The huge difference is people being on the Authority side, which initiated the debt, and on the banking side, which financed the debt.

One shares experience on both sides. The other is on both sides of financial transactions.

Which has at least the smell of financial gain?

Then, what worries me is even if the town wins in court, who will pay the enormous lawyer bills? Can the town sue the local "loyal" bank then for defamination and lawyer's fees? Layers are agging it on of course, and also shouldn't get paid if they lose. The bank knows it is illegal but think the stockholders will force the payment. I can't for the life of me see why our mayor elect wants to pay the bank! What is the connection?

I don't know why he wants to pay it. I really don't.

Seeking the correct answer is one thing. But just saying we need to pay it I do not get.

I think the answer is obvious. A mistake was made by the bank qnd the old Development Authority, borrowing and lending so much money without legal and adequate permission and collateral. Free money will be spent, particularly if the taxpayers are supposedly liable. Now there are those who want to forget about the "honest" mistake, pay it off, and go on. It is going to be embarrassing and possibly dangerous to some if it isn't done.