For any level of government to succeed, it must have a sense of honesty, a sense of history, a long-range vision for policy and the competence to shed the current consultant/lobbyist dependency. And the elected officials must remember the core functions of government are supposed to be centered on the people and not the special interests or whims of fancy produced by politicians.

I got a big chuckle out of the recent letters by Mayor Logsdon and Fayette Republican Chairman Josh Bonner. Mayor Logsdon has become the local apologist for past government corruption in Peachtree City, and Chairman Bonner is taking on such a role for the ideologically wounded local Republican Party.

Mayor Logsdon did one of the finest spin jobs on a local crisis that I have ever read. His thoughts on the police station disaster were hand-picked to sway the public. However, I will say Councilman Haddix made a much better effort to describe the situation in an honest way.

Of course there is a landfill on that site; the government documents clearly state this. But the important issues are the landfill was unregulated (meaning we have no idea what is buried there), unprotected (meaning no liners were used to keep whatever is buried there in place) and the city took 100 percent of the liability off the shoulders of the previous landowner.

The sad part is the City Council (Lenox era) purchased the property knowing everything I stated in the previous paragraph.

But the saddest part of all is the same City Council withheld the hazardous information from the public as the official city documents on the property’s status were not included in the meeting materials or press packets related to the purchase.

In addition, the mayor neglected to inform the public, before the vote for the land purchase, that he had a financial relationship with the landowners.

Mayor Logsdon’s letter on the police station was reminiscent of the local highbrows who pounded my administration for accusing the “businessmen” within the Development Authority of dishonest behavior.

However, the illegal short-term, high-interest loans were uncovered (where the $1.5 million went we still do not know), and, no, the tennis center never did break even like they promised.

If you remember, Mayor Logsdon issued a $1.5 million taxpayer bailout for those illegal loans which did not belong to the city. The mayor said the unbudgeted spending spree was “the right thing to do,” but he could never explain why. The local lobbying interests won and the taxpayers lost.

According to the six former mayors who supported then-candidate Harold Logsdon, government finance was the candidate’s bailiwick. He took office with the city being in its best financial position ever.

However, after several years of deficit spending, creating the highest rate of taxation in the city’s history and a lack of fiscal policy, we are now to the point of having to slash away at city services (same rate of taxation only less service).

The people who ran against Councilmen Haddix and Sturbaum might be thanking their lucky stars that they are not dealing with the current budgeting mess. The two new councilmen are still a two-person voting minority on the city council, but their voices must be heard.

The mayor’s pro-big box retail position officially ruined a village concept that existed in our city for nearly four decades. Additionally, selling the big box developer city property without the sale being contingent upon the approval of a development plan left the city in a very weak position.

We ended up with Planning Commissioners approving a bad plan because it was better than the horrible plan previously submitted. Indeed, [there exists] no sense of history and no sense of long-range planning by the City Council.

Perhaps the mayor and two council members [Cyndi Plunkett and Steve Boone] were so desperate for the cash infusion to offset their spending that producing a decent development was not a priority.

In fairness, let me say that Councilmen Haddix and Sturbaum did not vote in favor of the ill-advised sale of city property to enable the big box development.

Another short-term, standard-busting act is about to take place with our Fayette County Commissioners considering relaxing the county residential development standards. Government’s job is not to insure that local developers make a profit.

I talk to Republicans and Democrats alike about local and state issues, and there is not a whole lot of difference in what families on both sides of the aisle want out of local and state government.

Unfortunately, neither party is producing long-term leadership. Instead of being grounded in history and focusing on the future, our elected officials have forgotten the past and can see no further than the next election cycle.

Our situation will only change if you decide to act. Everyone knows the two atrocious bills concerning our schools would have been passed in the legislature if our local citizens did not create an uproar. Get involved in local issues and your family will benefit.

Steve Brown

stevebrownptc@ureach.com

Peachtree City, Ga.

[Brown served as mayor from 2001 to 2005.]

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