It is with tremendous excitement that I am announcing my candidacy for Post 3 of the Peachtree City City Council. I am running for the same City Council post I have held for the last four years.
Serving on the Peachtree City City Council has been an honor and a privilege. Four years ago I set out to identify what was wrong with Peachtree City so I could work to fix it. Instead, I found everything that is right about Peachtree City. We are fortunate to live in such a great community.
I consider my greatest achievements as a Council member the last four years to have been budget, economic development, and facilities improvements. Four years ago, I began my term with a series of ten budget meetings to address a frightening $20 million projected budget shortfall.
I worked with my colleagues to streamline operations, pay off or refinance debt, and budget carefully for the coming years. The hard work has paid off.
This summer, we will approve a budget with no deficit, 31 percent cash reserves, and no tax increase. Further, no tax increases are projected for the next four years.
In March of 2012, I pulled together a group of educational, industrial, and political leaders for the purpose of discussing hiring challenges among Peachtree City businesses.
That seemingly innocuous conversation has grown into a county-wide strategy for education innovation in the form of a College and Career Academy.
The Fayette College and Career Academy will be a huge economic development boost to our community, offering high school students a head start on college and relevant learning opportunities in programs like film, aviation, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing, while assuring our businesses a skilled workforce.
This exciting public/private partnership promises to be a win for students, a win for businesses, and a win for the entire community.
When I was elected in 2009, I had written about the decline of our widely used facilities, especially the library. An ongoing lack of budget and prioritization had left some of our best facilities in a state of disrepair.
In 2011, we formed the Peachtree City Facilities Authority and issued bonds in order to repair and restore facilities citywide. Now we can take pride, once again, in restored facilities, including the library, amphitheater, tennis courts, sports fields, playgrounds, citywide signage, the Kedron Fieldhouse and Aquatic Center, and much more.
I have been called the voice of reason on council. I take an unemotional, fact-based approach, thoroughly researching all sides of an issue. Having an engineering background means I want the facts; having a Masters degree in Education means I examine the issues from all sides.
This approach has helped me make the best possible decisions on behalf of Peachtree City citizens. My written analyses on municipal debt, stormwater, and other issues are available through the Learnard page on the city website, www.peachtree-city.org.
I enjoy sitting down and discussing the issues with individuals and with citizen groups. Over the last four years, I have averaged four one-on-one meetings per week with local residents, city staff, and elected officials at the city, county, and state level. That’s more than 800 meetings.
This keeps me connected and builds good relationships; it has also brought forth a wealth of ideas. If you have something on your mind, or if your group would like to meet, please contact me.
Effective leaders establish positive relationships, and conduct themselves in a manner that promotes Peachtree City with distinction. As your elected representative, I will continue to conduct myself in a positive and professional manner, worthy of the best city in the nation. You deserve to feel proud of your municipal leaders.
For 14 years, my family and I have treasured the recreation, cart paths, library, city events, great school system, and many incredible amenities found here in Peachtree City. My goal is to make sure Peachtree City will always be the place our children love to call “home.”
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you for the last four years. Please visit my website for more information, and be sure to vote on Nov. 5. I am running for City Council Post 3 so that I can serve you with distinction, give you a strong voice in city decisions, and create a positive path toward our shared future.
Still passionate about Peachtree City,
Kim Learnard, BSEE, M. Ed.
City Council Post 3
kLearnard@peachtree-city.org
www.kimlearnard.com
Peachtree City, Ga.
