One of the foremost reasons I am compelled to run for reelection to Peachtree City Council Post 3 is to bring about a greater sense of stability, harmony, and council cooperation among the City Council and our constituents who we represent as officials of Peachtree City.

Recently, the political climate and malicious innuendoes initiated through the blog media in our city is starting to grow increasingly accusatory and vitriolic over the last several years. If this continues, I am afraid this will broadcast more unrest in these hard economic times in our city’s history.

In the past four years since I have been elected to the City Council, we have taken great steps in providing the leadership required in solving tough problems.

In general, I believe with a unified council we can overcome any obstacles that arise without engendering mudslinging and finger-pointing: if this happens, it will impair the council’s efforts to solve many of the issues affecting Peachtree City’s residents.

As you well know, I spent a career in the military, retiring as a colonel. Currently, I am part owner and engineer consultant with Executive Review Inc. We provide professional consulting to the Department of the Army for Army installations in the Southeast.

When I first came into office in 2005, I thought I had a very comprehensive background to fill the seat, being retired from the Army and having worked with the federal budgeting process.

Municipal government is a complex operation that requires extensive research and training from a professional organization providing talented and experienced people with municipal government background.

I say this because Georgia Municipal Association offers many government courses to educate elected officials in their responsibilities. Through the University of Georgia, The Harold F. Holtz Municipal Training Institute for Elected Officials, provides courses to educate elected officials in the requirements and responsibilities for Council.

Through this institution, I achieved 126 credit hours, receiving four certificates, the highest award being the Certificate of Excellence and The Leadership Institute for Municipal Elected Officials. This accreditation has given me a broader background on how to accomplish the job and making the best decisions on issues for our city.

From this education experience, I believe I can do my job as council member having a better understanding in municipal government.

In the past four years, the council has faced tough decisions that required a lot of research and work to come up with unanimous decisions for the city and the citizens. Actions were working the budgeting process, the controversial TDK Extension that was not passed, lawsuit involving the tennis center, commercial retail developments, Wilksmore Village annexation, and passing updates to the land use plan, the comprehensive plan, approving ordinances and many other significant actions. These decisions were all made in the best interest to our citizens for the present and the future.

Too often in politics, we hear that candidates want to make a change and be identified as being outside the current structure. And yet, we see business as usual after the election. My proposal to my fellow Peachtree City residents is that it’s time to look positively for a new future: a change that is unified in the council decisions and everyone on board to support those decisions.

We do not need to turn back to in-fighting among our representatives and those citizens lacking understanding of the complexity of municipal government.

The future forecast is a change that finally brings a fresh and positive voice to our community, a voice that speaks on behalf of Peachtree City’s people. One of the most important beliefs of my tenure in the next four years will be to forge personal relationships with my fellow officials and those who question the processes.

I believe the greatest challenge our community faces is ensuring that our infrastructure is in place to support what Peachtree City has developed into over 50 years.

The city’s most pressing need is to preserve the quality of life services that make Peachtree City the 8th best place to live. We can easily see all the amenities that make our way of life so desirable; however, we can also see there are revenue issues in planning and supporting the necessary infrastructure.

City property taxes are not the wherewithal to support the city services that we provide. We need to see increased revenue coming from local sales taxes, which means our citizens shopping in Peachtree City.

We have great success stories in commercial businesses and professional services that have provided the necessary revenue stream to support our balanced budget. The commercial and retail such as The Avenue and other shops in our villages are aesthetically and architecturally designed.

Infrastructure improvements, public safety, recreation, and maintenance will always require municipal funding, and it seems the standard answer to date for some people is wanting to raise taxes. I believe greater fiscal responsibility and governmental oversight, in concert with direct feedback from the public, is the first solution we should look to rather than simply raising taxes.

Any increase in Peachtree City’s taxes over the next years, especially in this economic turndown, calls strongly for analysis of how revenues are spent and search for prudent ways to spend the money we have. Too often, however, we are uncovering financial “surprises” of which the public and even some members of the city government are unaware. The budget process in Peachtree City should start and end with its citizens.

It’s time to say more than, “We need to be positive for the future.” It’s time to give the citizens of Peachtree City more than lip service about serving their best interests. I will never betray the fact that my constituency is the people of Peachtree City and not “inside” interests in city government.

As your council member, I will answer to you, rather than my colleagues on the council. Therefore, I ask everyone to work with me, for a Peachtree City that serves all its citizens and not just a few. I ask you to join with me for a Peachtree City future as spirited and responsible as its people. I ask you to lead with me for a Peachtree City that enables and empowers all its citizens to achieve the promise our future holds.

Steve Boone

Candidate for Post 3

Peachtree City, Ga.