Especially the Tennis Center. Should be private, OR, cost nothing to use. It is for a special group only. They won't however pay for the BAD Peachtree National Bank loan, Just because some of the bank stockholders live here, they want it paid by taxes, and now. Let the bank have it, and run it, if it is such a good investment?

I still think the idea of a tax on new home purchases is a good one. Why not charge the newbies to come to heaven? The whatever 1 or 2% is rolled into the mortgage & no one even notices.

I guess we agree..I don't remember who you backed. Brown was a known and I like the gadfly element. It keeps stuff shook up. Harold is exactly as advertised, no surprises here. But if they want to raise taxes....why not look at Dar's ideas? Why not a real estate transfer tax? Why not make the newcomers buy in?

I backed Brown. Not because I loved his style as Mayor, but I had enough interaction with him to know he was trying to do right. He listened and had some good ideas even if the execution lacked.

And he was majorly anti-Good Ole Boys. Which I majorly am.

As I said then, Logdson took almost no stands on anything. I called him the King in the Castle type candidate that believed the peasants didn't need to know anything until he decided they needed to know and how it would be done.

He took an absurd stance Stormwater had not been researched and good, solid plans were not in place. Now the Utility is collecting money but not being implimented. It is stalled.

He promised to freeze, even lower, taxes and costs to the citizens. I said it was an absurd position since it was already known certain increeases were coming. Had to come.

He wanted to assume the Tennis Center debt, claiming it was a PTC legal debt, when it was not.

He overstated his qualifications big time.

And who were his key backers? The Good Ole Boys!

All of this was known to anyone who would just open their eyes.

As for more impacts on home sales, I believe that is a terrible idea. Already the seller looses too much in fees and such selling a home. And the cost to buyers is signficant.

We should want people to own and keep home owners. Not be burdened or discourage them.

Any additions should impact all residents of PTC, meaning renters and so on as well.

I sat at a Council meeting where, in example, the Library wanted to increase costs to the city about $50,000.00 EVERY year for 5 years, I believe it was. That is a lot of money when you remember it is accumulative.

At this point in time I really am not sure what the best way to increase revenues are. Mainly because that would require access to the books and a lot of hours of examination.

But I agree something has to be done.

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Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.

They mentioned at the budget meeting that it's in the works to get a $3M bond issue to pay for the projects.

Also, at an earlier Council meeting, the question was asked why the city didn't have a stormwater manager yet. The answer was that the ads they had taken out didn't bring in any quality candidates. Also, staff told Council they were going to put the want ad in a different venue, I believe some type of trade-specific magazine.

Hmmmm.

They really think they are going to get someone to do all they want with all the degrees and such they also want at that salary?

They need to either raise the pay or lower their expectations.

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Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.

I would say it is stalled untill they get the 3 mil. to get up and going. They are just collecting the money. Also why do they not know who is going to pay for the hydrology studies? Hit me back if you want..bladderq@aol.com

It is really painless. Doesn't cost the seller. The buyer is paying to buy into our lifestyle. $200,000 home x 2% over 30 yr mortgage is ...nothing. To the city it's a 4 grand boost. Renters pay property taxes & impact fees everytime they drop that rent check in the box. PLEASE tell me you are really not complaining that the library wanted a Buck-fifty from each resident? If George W asked for a Hundred dollar for a cruise misle or Chief Murray want 2.00 to run a DUI checkpoint you'd be turing your pockets inside out and looting your wife's purse. You only think / believe Stormwater Utility is stalled. I am not real happy we created a $50k position to run the thing.

It all adds up.

But, if no other way then maybe a good idea.

Yet, remember, add that annual impact to property tax and it is no longer as trivial.

And remember, it is the accumulation of all those 'only buck fifties' that add up to the burden that the city is trying to pay for and the citizens are getting irked about.

As for the Stormwater, it is stalled. No mistake about it. The plans and setup was completed LAST year. It was approved the beginning of THIS year by the Council. This years monies were collected in April. 5 positions were suppose to be filled and getting going by now.

The top position, which was suppose to pay about $65,000.00, I believe it was, was merged with another city department. Which I believe is illegal since it is a Utility. Might not be but I believe it is.

And it is filled with a person not savvy on Stormwater.

As for that Stormwater Director position you don't like, you must not understand what that job does.

It oversees collections, prepares annual budgets and so on, which originally the higher job was suppose to do. It also inspects reports from citizens, determines if legitimate, designs the systems to repair the problems and oversees the crews.

You really think you are going to load that much responsibility on someone capable of doing such work for less?

By the way. The job was posted mid February. They have not filled it yet.

And the 3 crew jobs that were suppose to be posted back around April have not been posted yet.

The only job, as planned, posted and filled was the one to collect the Utility fees. That got filled real fast.

And the first 60 jobs were prioritized and planned LAST year as well. With over 100 more following.

Now, you want to tell me what the hold up is?

Word I got is that it was put 'under review' until NEXT year. Review for WHAT?

Remember, if they try to merge this with any other department it is ILLEGAL to do, both by federal and by state law. It is a Utility and MUST be fully independent of any other department.

The Council does not like having to do the Utility. The Mayor, when campaigning, tried to pretend it had not even entered the planning stages yet.

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Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.