PTC referendum silent on plans for spending $9.9 million bond

Tue, 09/30/2008 - 3:46pm
By: John Munford

When Peachtree City voters head to the polls this election season, they will be asked to consider whether the city should issue $9.95 million in bonds for “recreational facilities.”

There is no mention of the specific project the funding is targeted for: an ice rink and fitness center that would be built at the city’s existing baseball and soccer complex on Ga. Highway 74 South.

Projections for the facilities show the city would receive $436,000 in annual rent but would still have to pay an additional $505,000 a year toward the annual debt service. Both the ice center and fitness center would be signing long-term leases in that regard, representatives have said.

Both the fitness center and the ice rink would be for-profit operations utilizing city-owned facilities. The city would have no part in running the businesses.

The bond money would only pay for construction of the building and not any of the proposed operating costs. The bonds would be financed over 20 years with estimated annual payments of $941,000.

Proposed by local businessman and past City Council candidate Dar Thompson, the facility would have two separate rinks in a 76,000-square-foot building with a separate 10,000-square-foot fitness center which his company could lease from the city. The buildings would be on city-owned land.

Thompson said the rink would host several large tournaments a year, increasing the city’s tax revenue. He also has said it would attract people to Peachtree City who might otherwise move elsewhere to be near ice rinks for their children.

Supporters of the plan say it will cost approximately $25 a year on the property tax bill of a home valued at $250,000.

In July the City Council voted unanimously to allow a referendum on the project to go forward. That was after Thompson presented his pared-down plan, which was cut back from the initial proposal for a $19.5 million facility that included a multi-use field, basketball courts and meeting rooms in addition to the ice rink and fitness center. That facility was 180,000 square feet.

Instead, the latest incarnation of the plan includes later phases that are currently unfunded.

The second phase would include a possible 20,000-square-foot addition to the fitness center and two large meeting rooms that could be used by civic clubs and the like. There’s also room for a 425-seat auditorium in a third phase.

There will also be an indoor multi-purpose field for indoor soccer or similar events, and it might perhaps be converted into a third ice rink if the facility proves popular, organizers said.

Thompson has offered to pay up to $1,500 for the city’s costs of advertising the proposal before the election.

Council members made it clear to Thompson that it would be up to him to rally support for the project and not council or city staff.

Mayor Harold Logsdon previously noted that the city does not have an ice rink in its master recreation plan.

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Knowitall's picture
Submitted by Knowitall on Thu, 10/02/2008 - 8:55am.

Oh Yeah!!! We don’t need to worry about Dar Thompson when the city already employees Randy Gaddo and his sidekick Sherry McHugh. They have already proven themselves as capable of running the recreation department facilities into the ground only to shove their mistakes down the taxpayers throats. This ice rink will just give them a new adventure. Yes, there are many kids on the south side of metro Atlanta who participate in ice hockey, but a far cry from the numbers needed to hold large tournaments as Dar has dreamed. Get off of fantasy island city council and Mr. Thompson and realize this proposed facility will only become another burden in time for the taxpayers of Peachtree City! CALL CITY COUNCIL NOW AND TELL THEM NO!!!!

Knowledge is the key to success


Submitted by youthsportsguy on Thu, 10/02/2008 - 12:23pm.

Yeah, Randy and Sherry must be behind this whole thing. They work tirelessly and bend over backwards to serve our youth sports organizations, only to have model citizens like yourself take anonymous cheapshots at them online. You're a brave guy!

At least you're right on voting NO. Then again, if it passes, maybe you can move to Sharpsburg in protest.

Knowitall's picture
Submitted by Knowitall on Thu, 10/02/2008 - 12:50pm.

Name just one thing which constitutes “bending over backwards”.

Knowledge is the key to success


Submitted by PTC32YEARS on Wed, 10/01/2008 - 1:09pm.

Does anyone know if any of the money will be used to build or update the youth football fields? Riley field was great when I was a kid, but we have grown and two fields is not enough for the amount of kids out there.

Main Stream's picture
Submitted by Main Stream on Wed, 10/01/2008 - 1:23pm.

forget youth football... it seems we need to fund ice rinks instead.

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"You can lead a Republican to the truth, but you can't make him think."


Submitted by dar thompson on Wed, 10/01/2008 - 12:44pm.

that so many are so confused to the facts. it's not my deal...i am not involved with the ice rink. yes, i am an advocate of the ice rink(s). for those of you who understand economics i won't have to explain why, for those of you who don't understand economics, you wouldn't understand anyway...just continue on doing what your doing, stepping over a dollar to pick up a nickel.

as well, i would suggest you get all the facts before you make comments of what you seem to no nothing about.

Submitted by MYTMITE on Thu, 10/02/2008 - 5:56pm.

with grammar. For instance, I know the difference between know and no.
I know that 'I' is capitalized, not a small 'i'-or is that to make you one of the little people? And, yes, I would step over the dollar if I knew a string was attached to it and pick up that nickel. A nickel in my pocket is worth a dollar with strings attached any day.

Main Stream's picture
Submitted by Main Stream on Wed, 10/01/2008 - 1:25pm.

way to win votes, by talking down to the voters.

Do you think we are all a bunch of uneducated hillbillies?!

-------
"You can lead a Republican to the truth, but you can't make him think."


Submitted by rgspain on Wed, 10/01/2008 - 12:57pm.

Thanks for helping Dar.

Mike King's picture
Submitted by Mike King on Wed, 10/01/2008 - 7:52am.

A little credit here and there, living within one's means, and being accountable to those whom one serves were trademarks of those who taught us right from wrong. Have those lessons long since been trashed by our elected leaders? Traditional American values, please bring them back!

Simply tell Dar that if this plan is such a great idea, he should have no issues finding the money. Private enterprise is just that, private.

Mr Mayor, we certainly do not have an ice rink, but we have a police station still cramped into a tempoary locale. Can you understand the term, priority?


Submitted by Nitpickers on Wed, 10/01/2008 - 3:43pm.

Dar says he is for the ice rinks but is NOT INVOLVED in it!

Just the Gym on the end I suppose?

Who do you reckon is involved in it?

I know his gym might stay busier with all the traffic generated by those people spending thousands of dollars a day there, but will we just lease the facility to an authority, maybe?

Worked for the Tennis Center!

Submitted by rgspain on Tue, 09/30/2008 - 8:33pm.

There is another silence that is concerning. I have not seen or heard support for the Bond other than the City Council passing the Resolution for the Referendum. I do not believe Dar would have packed the Council chambers on the evening of the vote by the Mayor and Council and let the Deal die a forgotten death. He has too much to gain. Dar’s Deal would be a boom for him and a bust for taxpayers.

Let’s not lower our guard and allow this hideous Deal to pass and leave the Citizens of Peachtree City holding a popsicle melting in our fingers. We don’t need any November surprises and find the Referendum passed by default.

Pass the word. Vote No for the Deal. Vote No for the Referendum.

Robert W. Morgan's picture
Submitted by Robert W. Morgan on Wed, 10/01/2008 - 6:23am.

But don't worry about this or the school bond getting approved. Voters under financial pressure and uncertainty about the future will not be voting for either of these pie in the sky projects.

Lot's of people have decided this week that government really can't be trusted to manage our money.

Besides, when does a family schedule ice skating time if they have 2 working parents - one of whom may need a extra job just to pay the additional taxes President Obama is bringing to us?


Submitted by jmatute on Tue, 09/30/2008 - 4:44pm.

The measure on the ballot has an amazing lack of information for the voter to make an informed decision. In reality, for whatever the merits may be, I would think that if this is such a great deal, that perhaps the person who proposed this should front the money for the entire project, and not expect the taxpayers of PTC to hold the bag. As you may recall, Peachtree City is currently involved in the Tennis Center and the Amphitheater, and operating on a deficit in both operations. The economic climate in the city, state, and nation is not healthy. Now is NOT the time to further extend ourselves into debt. If there is to be any funding approved it should be to invest in our children and schools via the SPLOST, which is on the ballot. All else is a frivolous pipe dream that would benefit so few and adversely make a financial impact to so many.

Submitted by dar thompson on Thu, 10/02/2008 - 1:04pm.

you will find more information at www.ptcsportscomplex.com.

this project will enhance home values in ptc...it is a benefit to all. northwest airlines will be moving over 5000 employees to atlanta...which many have kid's involved in ice sports (ice hockey and fgure skating), many of who will choose cobb county over ptc because of ice. more tax base, more jobs, etc. the question is simple, would you spend a net $1.60 per month to have your home value increase by 1% to 3%? again it's simple economics...this project benefits everyone.

Submitted by Dondol on Thu, 10/02/2008 - 2:04pm.

If this such a great deal then why in the Hell don't you use your Own Money! We're not about to let you use our city owned land and our money to fund your business. You know you've got to have nads as big as grapefruits, to bad you don't have the brains to match. There's a good reason that you haven't be able to get yourself elected in this town, THE ONLY ONE THAT YOU THINK OF IS YOU!

Now just why in the Hell do I have to press 1 for English?

Submitted by dar thompson on Thu, 10/02/2008 - 12:59pm.

you will find more information at www.ptcsportscomplex.com.

this project will enhance home values in ptc...it is a benefit to all. northwest airlines will be moving over 5000 employees to atlanta...which many have kid's involved in ice sports (ice hockey and fgure skating), many of who will choose cobb county over ptc because of ice. more tax base, more jobs, etc. the question is simple, would you spend a net $1.60 per month to have your home value increase by 1% to 3%? again it's simple economics.

this benefits everyone.

Submitted by MYTMITE on Thu, 10/02/2008 - 5:47pm.

How many ways do we have to tell you no? We don't need it and don't want it. If it is such a win-win situation and you are such a public spirited person do it yourself. Not all of those 5,000 employees will have children young enough to be into hockey or figure skating, or have children who are interested in either sport to warrant building the ice rink much less your sports facility.

Is this why you ran for Mayor, so you could push this through?

Again--we don't want it and we don't need it. It's your baby--you finance it or get financing on your own and build it and you get to be the one who brought ice to PTC and the one to make all that money and to lose all that money if it fails---we don't want it!!!!

Submitted by DonAddison on Wed, 10/01/2008 - 11:28am.

I agree that if this is such a good business deal, DAR should have no problem finding private financing.

Submitted by Nitpickers on Tue, 09/30/2008 - 6:53pm.

Nope, can't afford either one now! They were afraid to raise our property taxes to do this, so they thought a little old tax (forever) on groceries and such wouldn't be noticed! Just make the sales tax 20% all at once and do it all!
If the Fair Tax passes that would make it 50% sales tax!

The $3.00 loaf of bread then would be $4.50! Food tax is back!

Milk would be about $8.00 a jug for Mayfield.

Good steak goes from $9.99 to $15.00 per pound. Four in a package for a barbecue would only be $60.00, for six = $90.00!

I guess Outback steaks would be $55.00 plus 4.00 Iced Tea?

I gotta get my deer rifle out!

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