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Ronald Reagan had a quote on his desk that read, “There is no limit to what a man can do…if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.”
Yesterday The Citizen ran a letter from Peachtree City Councilwoman Suzanne Brown. In it, she claimed that Mayor Kim Learnard’s proven record as a fiscal conservative is just “election year hype.” Amazingly, Brown, who has been on Council for less than two years, also sought credit for the sound fiscal policies enacted during Mayor Learnard’s first term.
Let’s take a look at what transpired on Mayor Learnard’s watch and answer the question of whether or not Mayor Learnard is a fiscal conservative.
On Mayor Learnard’s watch, Peachtree City residential taxpayers got a full millage rate rollback; tax relief for you and me. Brown says she deserves the credit because she “leveraged” her power over the FY 2026 budget. What really happened was she pulled a stunt to hold it hostage at the last minute, but then Council made a compromise. Watch the August 21, 2025 Council Meeting video.
On Mayor Learnard’s watch, Peachtree City opted into a new state law that will freeze our 2026 property assessments and cap future property assessment increases to the rate of inflation. This won’t change the value of your home, but it will provide tax relief from now on. The new law also provided an option for a new, one-penny sales tax, which Mayor Learnard refused for Peachtree City.
On Mayor Learnard’s watch, in March of 2023, Peachtree City earned a Moody’s AAA bond rating (upgraded from AA1).
On Mayor Learnard’s watch, we have a strong conservative budget, despite inflation and rising costs. Nearly half goes to public safety and as a result we are one of the Top 10 Safest Cities in Georgia. Part 1 crimes are down 25 percent from last year and Peachtree City is now partnering with the school system to place a full-time School Resource Officer in every elementary school, keeping our children safe. Seventy percent of the budget goes to Police, Fire, Public Works, and Recreation.
On Mayor Learnard’s watch, we have a responsible rainy day fund of about $36 million to protect the city from unexpected economic downturns and unforeseen emergencies such as a devastating storm. (When Newnan suffered a devastating tornado in 2021, they incurred immediate expenses of more than $12 million.) This is healthy for a city with aging infrastructure and extensive assets, like ours, and also protects that AAA bond rating.
On Mayor Learnard’s watch, families and kids no longer have to pay a fee to use the splash pad, which now stays open from early May through the end of September – a campaign promise fulfilled.
On Mayor Learnard’s watch, we are no longer charged a fee to use lights at city athletic courts and fields. Another campaign promise kept.
On Mayor Learnard’s watch, Council passed a tax break for low-income seniors, but only on a 3–2 vote. Mayor Learnard voted for it and worked with the State Legislature to see its passage through. Suzanne Brown voted against it. Yet she argued in her letter that she and candidate Steve Brown (a close ally who smeared her opponent for her when she ran two years ago) deserve credit. Apparently she is his mouthpiece.
The progress Peachtree City has made in budgeting discipline, in building our reserves, and in delivering tax relief did not come from the chaos and obstruction promoted by Suzanne Brown and Steve Brown. It came in spite of them, through steady leadership focused on results rather than headlines.
This hysteria over who gets credit is why people hate “politicians” but trust local leaders who get the job done – and don’t care who takes credit. I will vote accordingly.
Christina Camacho
Peachtree City
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