We are Peachtree City ... aren’t we? I recently watched the movie, “We Are Marshall.” For those who have seen the movie, you know during the most trying time in the school’s history the entire student body came together in front of the school board, in a united front to fight for their school, chanting, “We are MARSHALL.” The chant is still used to this day.

I am reminded also of a quote from the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, when he stated, “The last thing I would ever want to be is like everybody else.”

The burning question I have for our city and its citizens is do we want to be like everybody else? Will we unite as one and remain everything Peachtree City was designed to be, or will we become just another ordinary town not much different than any other suburban town located throughout our country? Will we remain as one of the top places to live in the nation or be another “has-been”?

Like it or not we are on the road to mediocrity and ordinary. And much of it is our own fault. Yes, we are to blame.

Many, if not all, of us chose Peachtree City to call home because it is a planned community with miles and miles of golf cart paths, beautifully landscaped buffers, wonderful recreation, great public schools, etc. There was (and is) really no other place like Peachtree City. Period.

Well, things are changing. The reasons we chose to move here are now threatened. Why? The costs of continuing to provide these amenities and services have outpaced the revenue sources of our local governments.

Many want to blame our city government and other local governments. Such blame is only true to the fact that our mayors and city council members have made the decision not to raise taxes for over five years except for one small one-quarter-mill increase. However, they simply did what the citizens asked.

Politicians, for the most part, will do what the majority of citizens want them to do. That may not be what is truly best for the long-term benefit of a city and its citizens. Leaders often have to make unpopular decisions. Many times politicians feel forced to give citizens what is asked for and not what is needed.

Can you imagine raising your children under such parameters? It is time for us to face the unpleasant reality that we will either pay for what we have, what we enjoy, and what we demand, or be content to let our great quality community go by the wayside.

There are three major factors that make a city desirable for a place to live, work, and raise a family. Those are great schools, public safety, and quality recreation. Lose any of these three components and a city will be well on its way to ruin. These three components must be kept at the highest level possible in order for any city to remain desirable. People will pay to live in such a community. If you don’t believe me, look at home values where any of the three components do not exist.

Presently, our school board, superintendent, staff and teachers – together with parents – are working through these tough economic times to keep our schools the best in the state. Fortunately, the SPLOST passed in November and the increased revenues which the school system will start to see in July will help save many programs we, as parents and students, have come to expect in our schools. While the problems facing our schools is an important topic, I leave that discussion for another day.

The other two components of a great city, safety and recreation, are provided by our city government. The burden for paying for public safety and recreation falls squarely on the city’s shoulders.

In the current time, tax revenues are down and there are fewer dollars to pay for these services. So what do we, the citizens of Peachtree City, want to happen? Do we increase taxes to pay for these services or do we cut services?

We have been conditioned to associate any and every tax increase as a result of mismanagement or wasteful, frivolous spending. That is not always the case. Taxes are not bad when the money is used to reinvest in your community.

However, if any politician talks about raising taxes to cover basic services or increase beneficial services, the citizens will reward him or her with a one-way ticket out of office.

No one likes paying taxes, but all government services cost money. Our way of life in Peachtree City costs money. The beautiful cart paths that we all brag about cost money. Our tremendous recreational programs cost money. Our public safety costs money.

Are we willing to pay for what we call Peachtree City, or are we willing to say goodbye to those qualities which brought us here?

The problem with politics, by nature, is that the positive results from making a tough decision today may not be seen for years to come. That is why nothing ever gets done in government.

We need leaders. We need for our mayor and city council to tell us the cold, hard truth. This is not a time for populist government. Our community is at stake.

We, the citizens, have to offer support for our elected leaders so that they know the vast majority of citizens would rather pay more than to have the quality of our hometown go down the tubes.

We all know it cost more to buy a home in Peachtree City. When each of us moved here, we were all willing to pay that additional cost because of the quality of life enjoyed in Peachtree City and the belief that our home values would continue to rise because others would want to live here as well.

If Peachtree City becomes just like every other suburban town, why would our home values not go down? That extra cost we all paid to buy a home here would be forever lost, which is far greater than a slight tax increase.

If we choose to keep taxes too low to support the quality we all wanted and paid for when we moved here, then we have chosen to throw away part of our investment. It really is “stepping over a dollar to pick up a quarter.” Aren’t we missing the long-term big picture here?

I am not advocating blindly raising taxes. Peachtree City needs to examine every expense and examine all of its amenities. A city should not only operate just like a business, it must. A business, to be successful, must look at both the big picture and the details, some of which are:

What will generate revenue?

What added value is offered by our investments which create long term financial growth?

What are our expenses?

Which expenses are necessary to merely “keep the doors open”?

Which expenses will result in long-term increased value for the company?

Let’s take a look at taxes from a different perspective. Think out of the box for a moment and look at the city as a company, a business. Under this paradigm every homeowner is an investor in the company (Peachtree City). As a stockholder (homeowner) in the company (Peachtree City), I want to make my stock (home) in the company more valuable.

So the real question I must ask myself is this: what am I willing to invest in the company to make my asset more valuable? Am I willing to invest in continued security and safety? Am I willing to invest in quality education for my children and the other children of our community?

Am I willing to invest in excellent recreational facilities, including the cart paths, so that Peachtree City looks and feels different? Am I willing to invest in a responsive government that can address the community’s concerns? Am I willing to invest in special events like the 4th of July celebrations?

If the answer is yes, then the council must increase taxes. Is doing so “political suicide”? I would like to think not.

I truly believe that rational people do not mind paying for something if that something adds value. I am not advocating a tax increase to support wasteful spending, but this city must look at what will be thrown away if taxes are not increased. Such taxes are an investment in our city, our company.

While I know it is difficult to compare one city’s true tax base against another, Peachtree City has one of the lowest mileage rates in the Atlanta area and somehow has managed to offer one of the best places in the country to live. Much of this is due to the amenities which were required to be built but which were built by the developers. Some of the costs of operating the city were funded by the development impact fees charged by the city.

In many ways we have been getting an unbelievable value as we paid less and got more. Yes, like it or not, we have become spoiled. But, now as growth has slowed and the city ages, there is no one to pay for our quality of life but us.

It is time to join the real world. We can no longer have a “Rooms to Go” mentality ... no payments till 2012. We have to pay for what we want and what we expect.

A one mill increase in our taxes will cost the average homeowner in Peachtree City about $1.88 per week, or about 25 cents per day. Our city leaders can cut some of the budget and keep most of the services in place with such a one mill increase.

I have heard one council member say that a one mill increase will cause some citizens to spiral into bankruptcy. Such a claim is preposterous. Such a small tax increase will not push anyone into bankruptcy unless they are already there. If that is the case, I’ve got news for you: “Elvis has already left the building.”

We can only put off a tax increase for so long. It is time to make an investment in our company, our city. The short-term and long-term payoffs will be worth it.

If we choose the easier path and choose not to reinvest in our own company, which will result in decreased home values and a lower quality of life, then we can no longer blame City Hall. We will have to look no further than the mirror to see who is truly at fault.

We are PEACHTREE CITY. We can meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. Let’s join forces and tell our elected officials we are behind them and will support a small tax increase to pay for our quality of life.

When the economy turns around and sales tax revenues return to normal, then we can look at rolling back the millage rates.

I moved here because I saw a town with vision. As a citizen, that vision today requires me to step up and pay for what is important to our city’s future.

Dar Thompson

Peachtree City, Ga.

[Thompson is the owner of World Gym with several locations in Fayette County. He has been a candidate for the Peachtree City Council twice.]