Can Peachtree City’s Leaders Be Civil?

A seemingly routine agenda item sparked a telling debate at Peachtree City’s March 20th, 2025 City Council meeting. 

On the table was renewing the Georgia Municipal Association’s “City of Civility” designation – essentially a pledge for elected officials to conduct themselves with respect and courtesy. Councilmember Clint Holland asked that the full text of the civility pledge be added into the meeting minutes and suggested postponing the discussion until the entire council could weigh in (Councilmember Frank Destadio was absent)​. 

His requests drew a mixed response. 

Councilmember Suzanne Brown voiced significant disapproval. “We already have issues with civility on this council,” she declared while alluding to examples of councilmembers being uncivil despite the previous pledge. She concluded her remarks by saying renewing the document “means nothing” and “achieves nothing.”

On the other side, Councilmember Laura Johnson supported renewing the designation. “Even if it’s just symbolic, it’s important,” she argued at the meeting. She emphasized that formally recommitting to respectful debate served as a valuable reminder for the officials themselves. 

In the end, with Destadio absent and the council split, Mayor Kim Learnard and Councilmembers Holland & Johnson voted in favor of delaying further discussion until the next meeting. Councilmember Brown voted in opposition. 

Underlying this brief debate is an uncomfortable question with a fraught history: How civil has Peachtree City’s leadership been? 

The GMA’s “Embrace Civility” program, launched in 2023, encourages cities to model “open, free, and vigorous debate while maintaining the highest standards of civility, honesty, and mutual respect.” Peachtree City was even among the inaugural group of 77 cities recognized as a “City of Civility” in 2023, which some may find ironic considering it coincided with examples of incivility raised by Councilmember Brown. 

But as Councilmember Brown’s misgivings suggest, adopting a resolution is one thing. Living up to it might be another. 

Have We Been Civil?

The very need for a civility pledge implies there’s room for improvement. In the past three years, Peachtree City’s council meetings have generally been orderly but not without friction. There have been flashes of discord behind the scenes, particularly in internal communications. For instance, during last year’s contentious budget deliberations, there were internal emails showing deep disagreements on fiscal policy that turned surprisingly personal.

Tensions on the dais have occasionally flared in plain view as well. Barbed comments and sharp retorts occur. Even when Councilmember Johnson defended the civility designation, she tacitly acknowledged that public lapses in decorum happen.

A History of Discord at City Hall

While these recent events suggest civility is a current issue, Peachtree City’s political dramas are not new and have been arguably worse. 

In the early 2000s, Mayor Steve Brown routinely stirred negative reactions with his outspoken and often combative style. Frequently, he loudly positioned himself as right and most everyone else was wrong, corrupt, or conspiring against him and his interests. Even before taking office, Brown gained notoriety by writing sharply critical letters to The Citizen targeting then-City Attorney James Webb. The tension escalated into an unprecedented libel lawsuit filed in 2000 on behalf of Webb against Brown and the newspaper. That suit was eventually dropped after The Citizen countersued, citing Georgia’s anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) statute designed to protect citizens and media from intimidation.

As mayor, Brown’s abrasive leadership, inability to form partnerships, and frequent public confrontations drew criticism from many residents. His behavior and attacks on others overshadowed any accomplishments, and public dissatisfaction grew. In the 2005 mayoral election, fewer than 30% of voters supported his bid for a second term.

Later, an episode at City Hall made headlines across Georgia for its incivility. In 2011, then-Mayor Don Haddix lobbed a personal attack at his predecessor, Harold Logsdon, in an email to a staff member claiming that Logsdon “drank a lot and came to meetings drunk.” The remark was so incendiary that former Mayor Logsdon sued Haddix for libel. The saga only ended after Haddix publicly apologized and retracted his statement as part of a legal settlement​. 

Like Steve Brown, Don Haddix was voted out after a single term. They are the only Peachtree City mayors to lose re-election. 

Can Our Leaders Get Along?

Of course, it hasn’t all been conflict at City Hall. Peachtree City’s councils have seen plenty of cordial collaboration and polite discourse. Many contentious issues have been handled professionally even when opinions diverged. Longtime residents will note that most meetings proceed with polite debate, and councilmembers often preface disagreements with phrases like “With all due respect…” or express appreciation for each other’s perspectives. 

Yet, as human nature would have it, the flare-ups and feuds tend to stick in the public’s memory more than the calm discussions. The very fact that Peachtree City sought the “City of Civility” designation in the first place suggests an awareness: leaders know the public remembers their worst behaviors, and they want to hold themselves to a higher standard.

However, even the most well-crafted resolution is not a cure-all. I agree with Councilmember Brown that declaring the city a paragon of civility won’t automatically eliminate sharp tongues, personal grudges, or moments of frustration in the heat of debate. True civility requires elected officials to model the respectful behavior that voters expect every single day, not just when a pledge is on the agenda.

The upcoming April 3rd council meeting will revisit the “City of Civility” renewal, and given Councilmember Brown’s previous opposition, it may not pass unanimously—but unanimity isn’t the point. The vote is symbolic. What matters more is what follows.

Will our leaders conduct themselves civilly when the next divisive moment arises? Or will they risk creating a legacy that echoes the failures of past mayors?