I’m writing to express my support for Dr. Phil Crane in the Council Post 3 runoff election.
I’ve closely watched or campaigned for candidates in several of the past election cycles, and I appreciate that there are residents of Peachtree City who want to run for local office, but I’m surprised by those who chose to run but don’t really have a grasp of what is going on in the city.
Dr. Crane has attended council meetings before his opponent, Dr. Clint Holland, even lived in the city. As an example of an issue, when I reached out to all five initial Post 3 candidates for a comment on the resurfacing of Riley Field track, very quickly four agreed that it should be done except Dr. Holland, and he refused to answer until he had all the facts.
He came around to supporting the resurfacing, and I was very pleased with his thoughtfulness and detailed ideas, but Dr. Crane could answer quickly because he knew the issue already as part of running for Council in 2021 and due to his work on the SPLOST advisory group.
The point is Dr. Crane shows up and is already engaged in civic activities; even after his loss a year ago, he continued to attend council and other meetings in person and be on the SPLOST group, which is tasked with thoughtfully evaluating and ranking how the city could spend SPLOST monies, and this brings me to the next point.
When I look at Dr. Holland’s campaign site, what really strikes me is that it is all about saying “no.” Saying no is easy; we don’t even need to elect anyone, just get a sign that says “no” and put it in the chair, but we elect people to council to make difficult decisions.
For example, there are people who live on odd-sized lots and want variances, and most people will look at a particular situation and agree to grant it, but if the default answer is no, then we have disappointed residents that can’t make full use of their property.
I’ve seen several 5-0 votes in favor of granting variances as well as variances that get declined, and every time the council debates and decides. If “no” is the default answer, then things won’t go well.
The second part of saying “no” is related to not knowing the history of Peachtree City and the current redevelopment efforts going on in the city; some things will fit and others won’t. Dr. Crane will be able to look at the merits of everything brought before council and evaluate on a case-by-case basis through the eyes of someone who’s seen a lot in the city.
Something else that has occurred to me is that our council already represents those of late career/semi-retired or retired individuals. Certainly, they provide wisdom based on experience, but we need council members that can represent the young people in Peachtree City, too, especially the young professionals — the kind of people we want to move here.
As a chiropractor, Dr. Crane could choose to live anywhere, but he came back to his hometown, and he can pave the way for others by being a voice on council. I’m sure all of us have anecdotal evidence that “young families are moving into Peachtree City” even with the current structure of council, but that is in spite of and not because of who is on council.
If you ask me what Dr. Holland brings to council, he is very well educated in the sciences, successful when he was working yet now a retired person, but Mr. Frank Destadio already fills that role on council.
Dr. Crane is just as educated and currently runs his own successful practice yet experiences first-hand how young people interact with the city. This is a voice we need on council.
Early voting starts November 28. Please make your voice heard and vote Phil Crane!
Paul Schultz
Peachtree City, Ga.
Mr Schultz does not tell us what his political philosophy/ party happens to be so his respectfully given endorsement in my opinion can be a good thing for Mr Crane or a bad thing in regards to support of a conservative PTC voter! It is nice that Mr Crane has been a lifelong resident of PTC but in my opinion that does not automatically mean he is better as a future PTC Councilman! As for professional experience.. Mr Holland has far more experience running multiple businesses and far more education than Mr Crane again in my opinion . This is a question for my PTC fellow conservative PTC residents.. Why is it that most left leaning PTC residents are backing Mr Crane if he is the true conservative and not Clint Holland? Either way good luck to both candidates and may the best candidate win! My vote as a lifetime Reagan conservative will be given to “in my opinion” the most qualified and unbreakable conservative Clint Holland!
Hey Peter, you’ve touched on a few really important points here. You’re entirely correct that I’m getting support from both ends of the political spectrum. You’re also correct that I’m getting much more support from the left than my opponent is. Here are a few things to consider before you doubt if I’m a “true conservative” as you put it.
I’m approachable. I don’t feel the need to be callouses or rude because I have a difference of opinion.
At no time did I make comments that alienated the left leaning citizens of Peachtree City.
I don’t feel the need to drag national politics into everything.
I don’t feel the need to start every answer with “as a conservative.”
I have always been forthright with my Republican party affiliation.
I’m firm and transparent on my platform points. Several of my positions have definitely evolved as the campaign has gone on, which many candidates experience, but I don’t flip flop.
Thank you, Peter, for giving me the opportunity to clarify why I’m able to represent all Peachtree City citizens.
For an approachable conservative that’s cemented in Peachtree City, Vote Crane.
Am not surprised by Democrat Paul Schultz’s letter backing Dr Crane. With Crane on board the liberal PTC Mayor and her left leaning city council will have the control to approve mixed use zoning, higher taxes… they’ve already done. PTC as we know it today will undergo major changes supporting the liberal community.
Let’s elect a proven, successful, and dedicated leader with conservative values. Someone who will not make snap decisions for votes.
The residents of PTC did right by electing ‘nonpartisan’ true conservative Republican Frank Destadio in the last election, and they’ll do right if they vote for the ‘nonpartisan’ true conservative Republican in this run off election.
Vote Clint Holland
I have food in my pantry that’s lived in PTC longer than Clint.
We don’t need an out of towner coming in and selling us revisionist history. It already backfired with Gretchen and Clint is the same path all over again. Plus it’ll be nice to have 1 person on Council that has a job and can relate.
Proven, successful dedicated leader? We can’t be talking about Holland here. The guy is an out of town big shot who is inexplicably in a runoff for city council of a city he knows precious little about. No one in Peachtree City knows this man and yet he somehow greased the right wheels and is fearfully close to occupying a seat he shouldn’t.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad Mr. Holland chose to make Peachtree City his home and seems proud to be here, but we can’t afford to elect somebody without a proven record of understanding what makes Peachtree City Peachtree City. Let Holland get a few more years under his belt and then we’ll see where he stands.
I’m voting for Crane. We need someone on our side in the city council.
Voting for Experience and Wisdom is Easy – We will vote for Clint Holland.
After reading Paul Schultz’s letter in support of candidate Phil Crane for the City Council Post 3, the Crane campaign supporters are doing more to convince us to vote for candidate Clint Holland who received the most votes in the primary.
The hyperbole in Mr. Schultz’s letter was astonishing when he says, “I’m surprised by those who chose to run but don’t really have a grasp of what is going on in the city,” referring to Clint Holland who garnered the most votes and offered the most definitive answers to all the questions from the Citizen website.
I highly recommend that the voters review the candidate’s responses. There is a very clear difference worth viewing. Here is the link to the responses to the Citizen questions: https://thecitizen.com/2022/10/16/something-to-like-about-something-to-wonder-about-with-all-5-peachtree-city-post-3-council-candidates/.
Mr. Schultz grumbled about Clint Holland saying “the resurfacing of Riley Field track, very quickly four [candidates] agreed that it should be done except Dr. Holland, and he refused to answer until he had all the facts.” Again, it is astonishing that the Crane campaign is complaining that Clint Holland refused to make a knee-jerk response on an expensive project until he reviewed the facts, looked at the options, and weighed the funding implications. I can imagine most people would believe that such a thoughtful approach from Clint Holland, an engineer, would easily make him the leading candidate for being so responsible. Years of experience have taught him to always look at the facts before deciding.
Even Mr. Schultz had to mention Crane and “his loss a year ago” due to his positions that voters do not support, and Schultz objected to Clint Holland’s firm position on no new stacked multi-family buildings all over the city and his opposition to the changes in the city’s comprehensive plan that would allow more new apartment complexes that we do not need.
Mr. Schultz echoed Crane’s position on abandoning our traditional village-style development. “The second part of [Holland] saying ‘no’ is related to not knowing the history of Peachtree City and the current redevelopment efforts going on in the city,” Mr. Schultz said. He is talking about the redevelopment efforts the citizens of Peachtree City have constantly objected to over and over. The primary vote count in favor of Clint Holland and his position on not supporting more multi-story apartments across the city confirms Crane is out of touch with the citizens’ wishes.
It was shocking that a Crane campaign supporter would take the identity politics route saying Clint Holland should be ruled out based on his age and retired status. Mr. Schultz said Clint Holland “is very well educated in the sciences, successful when he was working yet now a retired person, but Mr. Frank Destadio already fills that role on council.” Doesn’t having a second person on the city council who uses years of experience, and the attendant wisdom it brings, count in government as it does in business?
So, Mr. Schultz does not want another Councilman Frank Destadio who has been the only dependable councilman on the City Council? Does he really believe that the voters would not prefer a smart, successful person with lots of available time to work on city issues?
There are just some of the reasons Clint Holland got the most votes in the primary election. He is decisive and firm in preserving the character of the built environment of Peachtree City. He opposes any moves to build more multi-story apartment complexes. He actually listens to what the people say.
This is very well stated. I agree with all of the above points. Vote for Phil Crane for City Council.