Letter to the Editor: Pass the Peachtree City budget!

4 responses to “Letter to the Editor: Pass the Peachtree City budget!”

1. 

   Don Haddix

   August 28, 2025

   dipping into the reserve to pay for the the mayors projects is waste.

   so much for being a rainy day fund.

   it became her slush fund.

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2. 

   George Burdell

   August 28, 2025

   Stan: you should re-read the news article. Mr Holland’s objection was not based on “cutting services”.

   Mr Holland “moved to change the reserve amount in the upcoming budget plan”, according to the Citizen’s report. Council member Brown agreed.

   The reserve, as our Mayor describes it, is a “just in case” fund ie our tax dollars sitting idle in a bank on the chance the city suddenly needs $35+ million.

   Others have explained the faulty reasoning behind the unreasonably large reserve in many comments, so no need to add.

   It is good business practice to review operations and spending each year, and to make tough decisions to not overspend. Anyone who is “outraged” at Mr Holland’s budget request hasn’t run a business or been through the process in a large company.

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3. 

   drdrakeramoray

   August 27, 2025

   It appears that Holland and Suzanne got to feeling a bit uneasy about how the budget just keeps getting bigger, and it is a lot to stomach. The PTC Budget is no doubt going up way faster than the inflation rate. That is a big problem that needs to be addressed, and it needs to be addressed to me more than this Surplus Fund percentage. Saying there is just no fix, it is what it is, is not the solution to me.

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4. 

   My.02

   August 27, 2025

   Mr Pohl – Please see my questions and facts surrounding PTC’s excessive reserve / “rainy day fund” in the Comments to Caroline Pope’s “Heated Budget Debate Arises at Peachtree City Council Meeting” 8/23/2025. It’s clear something has gone amiss in PTC’s budget process.

   Some questions for you: what is the basis for your belief that tax collections are uncertain? We have a very stable tax base in PTC.

   How much does the city earn in interest each year on the reserve / “rainy day fund”, and how do you know that it will “of course reduce the need for additional tax collection later”? It seems to me Council might just decide to add it to the mound sitting in the bank, as they have done for years now.

   You don’t understand the “rainy day fund” question if you think it’s about cutting city services. The reserve can be reduced – – even by half – – and not affect a single city service. It’s a pile of extra money beyond what is needed to operate the city that is sitting around “just in case”.

   I have yet to hear what the “just in case” reason is that requires $36M to be available on the debit card next year. You seem like you know. What is it?

   I’ll admit I don’t understand the reasons for the delay in passing the budget beyond what is in The Citizen, but it’s clear the Mayor and City Manager need to show leadership and address these concerns.

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