I want to thank all who voted for me last week. I look forward to your continued support in the runoff election on Dec. 1 or during advanced voting Nov. 23-25. Remember that every single vote counts, especially in a runoff when so many people don’t bother to vote.

I want to make my stand on taxes very clear. As you know, our taxes pay for decent roads, our cart paths, the library, recreation, public safety and other things that maintain our excellent quality of life. They can be a good thing.

The issue on taxes is trust. Citizens will only feel good about taxes when they trust their local officials to keep taxes as low as possible and to be frugal and responsible with taxpayer money and land use.

Right now, citizens don’t trust the Peachtree City Council. Elected officials need to listen and work to restore that trust in local government. They need to treat tax revenue and the city’s budget with the care they would if it was their own personal bank account.

If you see your local taxes not being managed well, you need to be able to call your elected official.

If they continue to mismanage, vote them out; they are not doing their job. Making poor decisions with our tax money is unacceptable. By evaluating and justifying every expense while still maintaining the services that set us apart, we are doing our job.

In PTC we have excellent city staff. Many people do not realize this. I have listened over the last three years, and the advice of our city staff with regard to budgeting has been good.

Council has made some poor choices that went against this advice and made us far too dependent on other revenue sources such as the SPLOST to run our city. This dependency accounts for much of our current financial woes.

Take the recent SPLOST vote. I voted for the SPLOST, not because I did not see its flaws, but because Peachtree City was in a position of dependency to need those funds for our cart paths and road improvements, or they simply would not get done without a significant millage increase.

What the county decided to do with that money was up to them, but our city needs those funds. Although a countywide issue, voters’ recent overwhelming decision on the SPLOST referendum made a powerful statement against fiscal irresponsibility in local government, a lack of trust.

Voters clearly did not want the West Fayetteville Bypass. That project is almost twice the entire Peachtree City budget, and has many flaws.

We are still in a recession. Sales tax revenue is down, property tax revenue is down, poor fiscal choices were made and the SPLOST did not pass. These are the facts. Peachtree City is not immune to revenue shortfalls. So what are we going to do now?

I opposed using the reserve funds to balance the 2010 budget because a sizable portion of those funds are in jeopardy anyway if the economy stays down. That was, and still is not the solution.

No one wants to sacrifice our uniqueness because we are in an economic downturn. Now, does this mean we cut nothing and just resolve ourselves to raise taxes? Of course not. But we also need to stop being shortsighted. We do not sell our streets to developers or our parks to cellphone towers, or cut up our land use plan to generate sales tax revenue.

I propose that we consider temporarily raising recreation fees; we cut out some of our special events until the economy bounces back; and in light of the recent vote, we should ask the county to reallocate the West Fayetteville Bypass SPLOST funds to cover road and cart path projects we really do need in the county. The citizens have spoken and we as officials need to listen and act accordingly.

Peachtree City could really use some of that $50 million for our cart paths and road improvements, as could the other cities and the county. The money is already in the bank; it should be used in a practical way on things that are essential to keeping the city functioning like road and path repair.

It would not cost the Fayette County taxpayers another dime and this move would help restore trust in government decision-making.

Peachtree City also has a road that needs to be completed in its West Village. But it has been stalled due to legal issues. Wouldn’t it be a perfect use for some of that $50 million to finish MacDuff Parkway? It would also reduce the proclaimed need for such density in Wilksmoor. It would lay the perfect groundwork for getting a better plan.

Another SPLOST referendum next year is NOT the solution. We need to re-evaluate our priorities, listen to our constituents and use the funds we have now, due to be misspent on the bypass.

The road improvements that this money does not cover can wait until the economy picks up. The taxpayers are not going to vote through another SPLOST until they regain the trust in local government. We need to establish that trust first.

By electing me, you will be electing someone whose values match your own. I will listen to you and use your tax dollars in a manner that reflects those values. I have heard you, and will push to adjust accordingly.

Use your right to vote on Dec. 1. I am asking for your support on creating a budget that is efficient, making land use decisions that reflect our city’s values, and establishing your trust by also pushing to reallocate the bypass monies to reflect the real needs, thereby minimizing the need for a city millage increase.

To get elected, it is tempting and easy to promise no tax increase. In my case, to get elected is to have earned your trust that I will be your advocate.

A vote for me is a vote for someone with a proven commitment to you. This commitment includes spending your tax dollars efficiently and responsibly, as you would.

Beth Pullias

PTC Council Candidate Post 1

www.pulliasforptc.com