A Peachtree City resident is advocating the creation of a task force to help the city improve its budgeting process ... and save money along the way.

Tim Lydell said he has no fault with the proposed $27.48 million budget the city has prepared. But he wants the city to look at its budgeting process using volunteer citizens who have that expertise.

Lydell said he wants to help keep Peachtree City from having the painful difficulties of East Point and Atlanta, both of which recently closed fire stations due to severe budget shortfalls and consequently angering citizens who worry about their safety.

Resident Al Yougel, who attended the city’s previous budget workshops, said he didn’t think the city’s situation was dire.

“I just sat and watched the budget process and I think it’s a lot better than you think,” Yougel said.

Mayor Harold Logsdon said council members have said there are certainly some things the city can do without to trim its budget.

“The question is do we have the political courage to do without,” Logsdon said.

Resident Lynda Wojcik said she was disappointed that the city’s budget workshops weren’t structured to take public input. Logsdon apologized, saying it must have been overlooked at the budget workshop she attended.

Lydell noted that he was speaking to the City Council at 10:30 p.m. Thursday night because that’s when the budget item came up on the agenda. It’s hard for many citizens to have interest to stay at a meeting for more than three hours to see it through, Lydell indicated.