In the mayor’s annual “State of the City” address to the Peachtree City Rotary Club Thursday afternoon, Don Haddix gave a capable recap of the highlights and a few lowlights from city operations in 2009.
But in his brief look at the future near the end, Haddix warned of the possibility that the city could come to look like the rest of metro Atlanta if bus and rail transit projects and a proposed “outer loop” around Atlanta come to fruition via a one-percent regional transportation sales tax.
“Many of us moved here to escape Atlanta-style living,” Haddix noted.
Fayette County would pay about $205 million over the 10 years of the sales tax if it’s approved, but Haddix contends most of it will be spent on transportation projects in other Atlanta counties.
That remains to be seen, however, as the 21-member Regional Transportation Roundtable which is preparing the project list for the tax has yet to create that list. Fayetteville Mayor Ken Steele, who replaced Haddix on the roundtable after Haddix made waves to duck the tax by bolting from the Atlanta Regional Commission and instead joining the Three Rivers Regional Commission.
Haddix’s move fell flat, as he was unable to convince his own city council of the necessity of the move. It did cause a handful of Fayette elected officials to call into question his potential for effectiveness on the roundtable, and in the end three of Fayette’s five mayors voted to replace him on the roundtable with Steele.
Steele has said that he would support working with Fulton County on a project to improve the interchange of Interstate 85 and Ga. Highway 74, which is often clogged during peak commuting times. Steele also said he would support the city’s request to have some of the T-SPLOST funding steered towards cart path projects.
Peachtree City is a great place to live because of its village concept and low housing density, and the fact that there is no rail service, while the community is “green” and a family-oriented safe place to live.
“The question is, are we going to pave paradise and put up a parking lot, or are we going to keep our green and ride out on our golf carts?” Haddix asked, quoting the Joni Mitchell tune “Big Yellow Taxi.”
In his roundup of the previous year, Haddix noted that the economy continues to be challenging, with property tax income down and foreclosures pushing past 350 homes. The good news is that city staff periodically checks the homes for security to guard against vandalism and the like.
Haddix said the city after some negotiating did issue the construction permit for the Sany heavy equipment assembly plant. The site is well underway adjacent to Cooper Lighting and the company has committed to hiring workers here rather than rotating them in from China, Haddix said.
Also on the southside of Peachtree City, Haddix touted the renovation of the Braelinn Village shopping center, which has renewed interest in the shopping center. He noted that with The Fresh Market coming soon to the Peachtree Crossing shopping center, a fresh new look will be coming for those shops as well, which is a big plus for the city.
Haddix also noted that the most serious crimes in the city have trended downward by 30 percent total, with the only rises coming in domestic calls, which went form 451 to 458 last year, and also arson cases, which jumped from zero to seven.
One controversial issue this year was the dramatic increase in sewer bills, Haddix noted. Most city residents saw a markup of 50 percent or more on their bills as rates were increased to counteract what the city’s Water and Sewer Authority said was a drop in revenue.
Haddix noted that the only control the city has over WASA is the ability to say no to any extension of sewer outside the city limits and the right to appoint new members to the WASA board. He noted that two new WASA board members have been appointed by council to replace one members whose term ended and another member who resigned.
Haddix encouraged Rotary members to engage city government in a dialogue, particularly on property taxes, by attending meetings and making comments so the City Council has a better feel for the citizens’ wishes.
The “majority of council” approved a 1.25 mil property tax increase last year, and there are projections for another .5 mill increase this year and for each of the following three years, Haddix said. Although he didn’t say it, Haddix was one of two votes against the tax increase, as he and Councilman Doug Sturbaum preferred a more modest .5 mill increase instead.
The city recently sacked the printed edition of its Update newsletter, opting for an email version that can be more up-to-date while also saving the city about $40,000 a year, Haddix said. He also said the city recreation department is saving money by folding in its program guide into The Guide magazine.
Haddix said he also was proud of the fire department’s new public education bus that was outfitted through the generosity of local merchants, supporters and the city’s volunteer fire department. The bus cost the city a total of $500, he added.
The city also has a wealth of volunteers who are specially trained to respond in case of a disaster or other large-scale emergency, Haddix said. Those volunteers have been trained through the Community Emergency Response Team program hosted by the Peachtree City Police Department.
