First and foremost, I want to preserve the lifestyle we enjoy in Peachtree City. Peachtree City has been uniquely planned and offers its citizens the finest amenities, first class services and a quality of life that is repeatedly applauded in various publications.

I decided to run for mayor of Peachtree City to ensure that the right decisions are made for the city. The right decisions are ones that benefit the citizens and compliment the comprehensive land use plan and village concept. Peachtree City needs a mayor who will lead, someone who will stand up for and listen to the citizens who vote him into office.

The most pressing need of the city is to get the budget under control.

More big box retailers are not what is needed in Peachtree City. We must get back to the village concept and preserve our city.

There are essential services in Peachtree City and then there is everything else. The essential services include police, fire and EMS. It is the everything else that makes Peachtree City the special place it is and reason why all of us moved here.

Peachtree City needs to tighten the belt a bit in these challenging economic times. There needs to be a balance as to what is taken in via taxes and other revenue and what is going out via expenditures.

There have been many streamlining activities and we have cut into the meat of the budget. I believe we need to sharpen our knives and get down to the bone.

The proposal of Callula Hills in an industrial area is clearly against our land use plan. The approval of this parcel will only start a domino effect that will be hard, if not impossible, to stop. I do not believe spot rezoning and short-term thinking are the answer to fix the city’s budget shortfall.

My budget priorities would be to continue the city’s excellence in public safety (police, fire, EMS) followed by recreation.

As a product of all the wonderful recreational opportunities in Peachtree City, I am very much in favor of everyone enjoying the fields, courts, pools, lakes and trails available to residents.

While I do not think it would be in the city’s interest to sell the tennis center or the field house, the city needs to look at all available options to ensure that the operations are running as efficiently as possible while continuing to offer great amenities.

What most distinguishes me from my opponents is that I am not a career politician. Both of my opponents have been sitting members of the city council and have decided that now is their “time” to take the helm. My opponents are also trying to make what is a part-time job into a full-time job.

The last thing our city needs is another full-time politician dreaming up ordinances and spending their day trying to run the city. We have a highly paid city manager and staff that are to do the day to day operations. Let them do their job.

Scott Rowland

scottrowlandformayor@yahoo.com

Peachtree City, Ga.

login to post comments