Both Herb and Lee were getting a little angry yesterday and with good reason. Somebody has finally started holding them accountable.
This “roll-up” means some poor homeowner who has lost a significant amount of value in his home, most likely upside down in the mortgage, is going to pay an inflated rate of property on that devalued home. Herb and Lee support this.
Lee has been deficit spending every year he has been in office. When he said I do not have any solutions, he’s wrong. I offered the HB 240 solution that would have de-funded the West Fayetteville Bypass and used the funds for paying off debt service and tax relief. Herb, Robert and Lee voted me down.
I have consistently demanded that we bid all contracts. Mallet Consulting has been receiving no-bid contracts from the county and the county’s water utility for DECADES — we are talking tons of money. There are many other vendors who never see competitive bidding as well. Herb, Robert and Lee voted me down.
I have consistently asked for cuts in expenditures equal to the point of the revenue generated. Herb, Robert and Lee voted me down. I have asked to look into privatizing the building inspection department to generate cost savings. Herb, Robert and Lee voted me down and they RAISED the fees.
The three gave an across the board pay increase to staff and created other additional expenses over the last five years and had no revenue to fund it.
Lee pushed for purchasing a $300,000 piece of heavy equipment his year, not budgeted, at the same time we are deficit spending. They are spending hundreds of thousands on paving Snead Road for the adjacent developers and large land owner when we are deficit spending. Both cases, Herb, Robert and Lee voted me down.
After all the 2012 accounts are cleared, we will be left with diminished reserves and will be facing another large budget deficit next year.
Lee talking about protecting the citizens of Peachtree City and Fayetteville by raising the millage for the County Fire Fund is an absolute joke. For his entire four-year term, the county has been pulling the funds to operate the county’s Fire Department out of the county’s general fund, in direct contradiction to the creation of the county fire districts agreement with Peachtree City and Fayetteville.
Herb, Lee and Robert have literally been stealing from the two cities to pay for county services that they do not benefit from for the last FIVE years.
George Dienhart called me to complain. I told him to call you because I have been voicing my concerns regularly for months and it rarely gets in print.
I am tired of the lies from Herb, Robert and Lee about their financial stewardship. We are heading into major trouble soon and declining home values will make it a lot worse, but, again, they are deficit spending!
Steve Brown
Fayette County Board of Commissioners, Post 4
140 Stonewall Avenue, West
Suite 100
Fayetteville, GA 30214
