I am running for mayor of Peachtree City in 2017. Paperwork was submitted last Friday to the Georgia state ethics commission establishing myself as a candidate.
I know many of you think this is crazy; way too early. It’s never too early to announce your intentions for something like this. The “campaign” will of course be low-key until 2017. Actual “qualifying” won’t happen until August 2017.
City council is clearly lacking in leadership, communication and pragmatic thinking resulting in lost citizen trust. I see it first-hand and think we can do much better.
I will correct the part about the reluctance to allow citizens to comment or ask questions at council meetings. Citizens take precious time out of their personal lives to come to council meetings and should be allowed to give us their opinions.
Close calls (Great Wolf) and other votes will be exposed with facts. Citizens were figuratively thrown under the bus by certain council members wanting to vote for Great Wolf and then votes were changed at the last second for pure political and future reelection purposes.
Details on other votes such as the following will be shared later:
1. How does one vote against improving the case for our city’s AAA bond rating?
2. How does one vote against the opportunity to gain $5 million in the budget, annually(!), for the SAME amount of tax? Imagine how well our cart paths and roads could be improved. Yet one council member actually voted not to do this. It’s sort of like Harry Reid using his one vote to stop progress in the federal government.
3. How does one vote against improving our city’s participation percentage in elections. We just experienced an 8 percent turnout. By moving our elections to line up with presidential elections in even numbered years we approach 70 percent participation. We were essentially told by one council member, we are not smart enough to be able to handle all the information in a single year. Really?
4. How does a council member vote to not allow another council member to talk on an agenda item at a council meeting? This unbelievably actually happened. Impertinence personified.
There have been many votes in the last two years that are so outrageously not in the citizens’ interest it is mind-boggling. These poor decisions will be enumerated later. I will backup/document everything I say in the campaign with evidence and facts.
I understand the citizens come first. Apparently this concept has been lost by some on council and with it citizen trust.
We’ve now wasted or committed to waste nearly $1.5 million on unnecessary spending in the last two years. I remember a former mayor who was stuck with “fixing” a $1 million problem with our tennis center. Solving that issue contributed to his losing a future election. History will indeed repeat itself.
Please know that although I have submitted required paper work for establishing a campaign committee and filed paperwork titled, “Declaration of Intent to Accept Campaign Contributions,” I do not and have NEVER accepted campaign contributions. I don’t like the idea of anyone saying I am supporting a certain position because I took money from that person/group. Shaking people down for funds is morally wrong to me. I will commit my own personal livelihood and wealth on my beliefs.
A renaissance is within Peachtree City’s grasp. With the right leadership, communication skills and pragmatic thinking Peachtree City will return to a highly regarded spot on the “Best Places to Live” list in the United States.
I have proven over and over again for the last six years, the citizens come first. Please call, email or visit Facebook, Imker for Mayor of Peachtree City.
Eric Imker, Post 1 councilman
Peachtree City, Ga.
