An unusual PTC business combo

First of all, I applaud the citizens in north Fayette and south Fulton counties who refused to listen to state officials telling them the fumes emitted from the PSC facility were not serious. When the government failed them, the local citizens (mistakenly labeled “complainers” or “alarmists”) took over and triumphed.

PSC folded and agreed to a multi-million dollar settlement. But, please, do not forget the moral of this story: Homeowners need to educate themselves on the chemical hazards in their communities. Likewise, local governments must perform due diligence prior to offering tax incentives to prospective industries.

Sadly, the heartbreak continues following Mayor Harold Logsdon’s complimentary junket courtesy of the Chinese Sany Corp. The mayor defiantly refused to abstain from voting in favor of zoning variances benefitting Sany after it funded his first-class vacation. Afterward, I was informed he entered into a business partnership with the city manager of Peachtree City. [Editor’s note: See the story on Page A1.]

The new fiduciary relationship between the mayor and the top city staffer creates yet another ethical dilemma sure to further erode the confidence of the public in our government.

By design, the city manager must be the most objective person within the city government as opinions, positions and attitudes differ amongst the elected officials he serves. To prove this point, look at all of the 3-2 votes the city council has had lately on major issues.

To insure the sanctity of the governing process and the purity of the vital staff information given to each city council member, the city manager must show complete impartiality and provide unbiased information on each issue which is extremely difficult when you are bound financially to the mayor.

The ethics codes of the city specifically state (Sec. 62-71. Declaration of policy):

“(a) The proper government and administration of the city requires that: (1) Its officials, employees, appointees, and volunteers conducting official city business including those appointed by city council such as commission and authority members ...

b. Be independent, impartial and responsible ... d. Treat all people fairly ... e. Use the power of their position for the well-being of their constituents; and f. Create an environment of honesty, openness and integrity. (2) Governmental policies and decisions are made in the proper channels of the government structure ... (4) The citizens of the city have confidence in the integrity of their government ... (b) Because the attainment of one or more of these ends is impaired whenever there exists in fact, or appears to exist, a conflict between the private interests and public responsibilities of city officials and employees, the public interest mandates that the city protect against such conflicts of interest by establishing appropriate ethical standards with respect to the conduct of its officials and employees in situations in which a conflict may exist or appear to exist.”

The behind the scenes effort to pass “The Last Minute SPLOST” from the Fayette County Board of Education (FCBOE) is getting uglier every week. I mentioned in my last column part of this effort was treading on thin legal ice.

The ugly segment began with the FCBOE placing their own employees up on the gallows and threatening to do them in if the voters did not comply with the demands of their last minute SPLOST. Using the employees as bait to distract the voters from past management issues is a cruel and offensive ploy. And for the record, paraprofessionals and instructors of the arts are extremely valuable to our community as a whole and should be kept regardless of the menacing threats from the FCBOE.

In 2002, I was part of a city council which inherited the worst budget shortfall in the history of Peachtree City. We analyzed all expenditures and reviewed every department’s budget. The result was rational cutbacks, stability measures and no employee layoffs. We weathered the storm and came out ahead. The FCBOE can do the same.

Any elected official will tell you it is the FCBOE members who controlled the tone of the budget presentation and decided to hang their own employees out to dry. Conversely, it was Superintendent DeCotis who chose the professional course and honestly said, “It’s not a good time to ask for it [SPLOST] ... If it is approved, we can move forward. If it fails, we can try to maintain our programs” (The Citizen, Aug. 6). And you can bet those programs will be maintained.

Read Claude Paquin’s portrait of the tax/budget history with the FCBOE (“Getting out of the hole the BoE has put us in”, Sept. 10, The Citizen). As Paquin stated, had the FCBOE been paying attention and worked on restructuring the bonded indebtedness, there would be no call for a last-minute SPLOST. Additionally, if the FCBOE had been maintaining their reserve fund balances as mandated by state law, there would be no fuss.

FCBOE Member Janet Smola cried that they had already completed the teacher contracts before the state cut some of its funding for promised raises. Since the state legislature has a history of reneging on funds for local schools, should not have member Smola made sure the language for raises in the contract made it contingent upon receiving those state funds? Ms. Smola wants it both ways by complaining on both ends and not performing wisely in the middle.

Braelinn Elementary School parents were given a hazardous dose of misinformation the other week from their parent teacher organization (PTO). The email blast included bullet points in support of the SPLOST listed as “facts,” such as “income from property taxes is decreasing,” which simply were not true.

Unfortunately, the Braelinn PTO email also promoted support of a pro-SPLOST group called “Fayette Citizens for Children” and even asked parents to send contributions to them. This is far outside the legal box.

All of the emotional ploys and the misinformation surrounding the SPLOST need to be set aside. Additionally, when the FCBOE comes to the public with a last-minute SPLOST proposal for what they claim are desperately-needed building improvements, saving paraprofessionals’ jobs from their own ax and a deluxe aquatic center (families have to tighten their household budgets and they want an aquatic center?), we should be concerned.

When their first-ever public announcement of wanting a SPLOST comes after board members secured their seats in the election primary, we should be concerned.

When the FCBOE promised to use a portion of the 2000 ($72 million) bonds to pay for technology upgrades in our schools (like the ones they are promising with the SPLOST) and they do not do it, we should be concerned.

When the FCBOE purchases large tracts of land for purposes beyond what they committed to and we voted for with our bond funds, we should be concerned.

When the FCBOE pushes forward with building two more elementary schools when the student population is declining and when they can legally re-purpose those funds for items they want with the SPLOST, we should be concerned.

When the FCBOE attorney jumps in the middle of an open records request on the SPLOST by a local parent and throws a $2,000 fee obstacle in the way, we should be concerned.

When the proposed SPLOST forces our senior citizens to pay for schools, especially in a depressed economy, we should be concerned.

When the final approval for the SPLOST referendum by the FCBOE is a nebulous request for $115 million without any specific appropriations for any specific projects, we had better be extremely concerned.

You will not hear those realities in the presentations from the PTOs and Ms. Smola. Please do your homework on this one as there will be a test coming on Nov. 4, 2008.

[Steve Brown is the former mayor of Peachtree City. He can be reached at stevebrownptc@ureach.com.]