Peachtree City’s attempts to fund economic development are illegal

Recent news on economic development has rekindled questions and frustrations.

The state created economic development authorities because city and county governments cannot legally perform that function.

It is illegal because too many governments misused the funds…period.

Then council members Fleisch, Imker and Learnard refused to raise the Development Authority of Peachtree City funding to $150,000 from $20,000 because they said it was a waste of money, instead disbanding the authority.

Since then under Mayor Fleisch, the council has increased the contribution to the Fayette County Development Authority to almost $150,000 a year. The FCDA has used these funds for non-Peachtree City purposes.

Now Mayor Fleisch is talking about cutting that amount and using the funds for Peachtree City economic development under council control. Again, which they legally cannot do. It requires an authority…period.

And remember they define building homes and retail as economic development when it is not. A fact that the city manager has acknowledged.

Council tried that before and failed because council cannot do economic development by state law.

Also remember if council does not rollback the millage rate to compensate for increased home values that is legally a tax increase because your tax bill increases.

Mayor Fleisch and the councils under her have continued to fail Peachtree City on economic development, traffic issues and trying to dismantle the village concept that has been so successful for decades. Offering only urbanization and trying to stage Peachtree City.

The bottom line is economic development means attracting good paying career jobs to Peachtree City.

Getting Peachtree City back on track begins this year with the election of two council posts.

Don Haddix

Peachtree City, Ga.

[Haddix is a former mayor of Peachtree City.]