Logsdon didn't vote for the pay increase and Haddix will? Can you say Scott Rowland?

Your cut and paste would be much more meaningful had you included the compensation of department heads and deputies, but by only covering Mayor and Council are you implying that the city staff are both overworked and understaffed?

Heaven forbid that you are a city 'staffer' whose purpose is to obfuscate a fact or two. I hope that not be the case.

Guess you will be a one termer also. The city really cant afford this. Havent you watched the news in the last 2 years. Even Perdue said the budget for the state will affect tax returns. Jesus man get a grip. There arent very many city employees that deserve a raise. They sluff off and half the time dont do what they are paid to do. Just enough to get by. THis is sad. Thanks anyway for letting us know right away what your about. Have a lovely week.

I think it is a very bad idea for use to continue to use these blogs to communicate with the citizens of Peachtree City.

Most people here are anonymous, mostly so we can discuss things that are on our minds. You create the opportunity for people with "agendas" to attack you personally on every level.

I applaud the fact that you are trying to communicate with the citizens, but please look for another way.

It's Bush League at best. Hopefully, this will end it.

I want the city forum in place so that can be accomplished.

This was just such a hot button item and a couple of valid questions were asked, so I risked it in a limited format.

Having said that I am departing and leaving the discussion to the bloggers.

Don Haddix
Mayor Peachtree City

I knew your position regarding raises prior to the election, and as far as the Council portion I would have to agree. The salary for Mayor and Council is long overdue. I do disagree with an 'across the board' raise for city employees. Simply stated, some deserve it and others don't.

The top tier of city staff will stand to receive a $1400.00 to $1600.00 raise at one percent while the preponderance of the city's labor force receives a mere fraction of that. Those at the lower end are the ones normally ignored, but carry the brunt of the workload. There is no department head (opinion) or deputy likely to depart his/her position for more money elsewhere. My opinion again, if there is Peachtree City would stand to gain from their departure.

The residents of our town by in large are affected by our nation's economic woes that are still a ways from recovery. To approve an across the board raise for those that serve us reeks of rewarding beauraucrats whose primary concern is for self and not service to the city. Further, there is not one department within our town that cannot be managed at the same performance level in the absence of its department head.

You and I both know this. If recruitment is your purpose, please limit it to police, fire and rescue personnel else this will become an albatross that will ultimately weigh you down.

An old colonel once gave me a piece of advice that I believe to be appropriate: "A good soldier can choose but once the ditch in which he is to die." It is far to early to be making that choice and there is much good to be done over the next four years. You were elected because of your leadership, now use it.

My friend, I know the choice is not totally yours, but your vote will either mark or stain you.

Obviously, the Council being the only ones who got a raise would be a huge political problem in this environment so it's time to throw a few bones to the City staff who has been going without and being downsized out of existence. Simply put, you aren't going to see Council give themselves a raise and not try to deflect it some without giving out raises to the people doing all the work.

I am totally against any Council pay increase right now and could care less about their arguments in favor of it. The City has a financial fiasco right now. Show some true leadership and "suffer" through it, especially when you knew what the job entailed when you ran for office VERY recently and what it paid, the time it requires(or what you perceive it requires or how much time you make it require) and come back later for a pay increase when the City's financial condition isn't as sorry as it is right now and you've already cut services.

It's a helluva lot easier to run as an outsider than it is to govern. Ask Steve Brown about that. If this council votes themselves a pay increase it would definitely raise a serious question about the motivation the Councilmembers had when they ran for office just a few months ago.

I don't feel your pain.

Valid point Doug and I have thought about on the high salary positions. It just was not formulated into the base proposal when put onto the agenda, which does not mean it cannot be a part of the final outcome.

Don Haddix
Mayor Peachtree City

Hi Mr. Mayor
I agree....a salary increase is deserved.
Having served in city government in the past, the amount of hours spent is 5x (if not more) greater than the "public hours" spent. The amount of preparation rime is tremendous and most people do not see.
The amount of work required is way greater than the salary paid which is already low.
Thank you for your hard work.

Thank you.

I actually came back, not originally intending to, for the purpose of adding what I neglected to say initially, that being the last raise was in 1985.

Don Haddix
Mayor Peachtree City

Mr. Mayor:
Please see my comments to Mr. Imker on the blog in response to the article that he is holding his own budget review meeting prior to the retreat.
Obviously I did not explain myself well in the first post about whether this was an authorizied or unauthorized meeting...that's clear from his "sideshow" comment.
Help me understand...a new council was elected, the citizens elected that council for strong leadership and teamwork to pull our city together and move us forward.
I applaud Mr. Imker for reaching out to gather information but shouldn't council do that? Aren't these issues to be discussed at a retreat?, or did council agree that one member should pre-gather some information prior to this retreat?
Please explain?
Thanks

We did not authorize him to hold independent meetings but as a Councilman he has the authority to do so if he wishes. We have no idea what he is going to propose.

Normal procedure is Staff formulates rough proposals and approaches for the Budget and other issues and then presents them to Council at Retreat. Then they are refined via Council input and guidance, public input, Staff research and such from which we move to several Budget Hearings with the public and work on to the final product we vote on later in the summer.

As well this year, per what I said we would do last year and agreement by Council, Staff formulated a rough survey that they submitted to us for our adds, subtracts and refinement. It will be going out shortly and will be considered in the Retreat proposals and discussion.

There will be Town Halls with the citizens where we, as a Council, will listen to what they want on Budget issues, priorities for the city in general and thoughts on other issues deemed critical. Again building on the survey, etc.

An orderly process of information gathering and formulation is in place which all of Council takes part in.

Councilman Sturbaum and I, after the last two years, are working hard to bring consensus, compromise and team work to the Council that includes serious attention to the citizens. It was not there the last two years.

Individual research and opinion is valuable as it makes a better final product. But there is also value in putting ideas before others on Council along the way to get their input.

Reality is sometimes you get all you want or can get at least some of what you want by working together. On some issues you give on one to get on another issue you see as critical.

We need teamwork. With three new members were are in the shaking out process. All I can say is Sturbaum and I are doing everything we can to make it happen.

As Mayor I have a lot of authority on many issues. But working together is ultimately an individual member of Council legal right of office to do or not to do. My door is open but I cannot force anyone to walk through it.

Don Haddix
Mayor Peachtree City

Employees now days should be happy they have a job. They canned most of the great folks that worked in the Public Works area last year. Tell me they wouldnt love to come back even at a reduced scale. So many city workers dont do what they are supposed to anyway. If the city went on merit most would never get a raise. 200 banks will fail this year, 3 million homes will be lost to foreclosure, PTC is pretty much broke so what the heck is this all about. Just like obama these people will be one term only if they give pay raises this year.