Peachtree City’s 2025 Election: Scoring The Candidates

Early voting has begun, and Peachtree City residents are already heading to the polls to choose their next mayor and city council members.

This year’s local election has been louder and more combative than any in recent memory. Claims have flown fast, and not all of them have been grounded in facts. Some candidates have shown voters who they really are, not only through their policy positions, but through how they campaign, how they respond to criticism, and whether they keep repeating lies after they have been shown to be false.

I have spent the past several months following these races closely, reviewing platforms, reading statements, and meeting with many of the candidates one-on-one. I have paid attention to how they present themselves to voters and how they say they want to lead our community.

The last time we had a local election, The Citizen ran a column that scored the candidates and urged voters to cut through the campaign fluff. It called for accountability, for serious answers, and for a closer look at what the people running for office had actually said and done. That advice still holds true today, maybe more than ever.

So, in that spirit, I’ve scored this year’s candidates using a simple 1-to-5 scale (5 being the highest). Each candidate received both an overall score and individual ratings in five key areas:

• POLICY SUBSTANCE – Specific, actionable plans versus vague promises
• TRUTHFULNESS – Accuracy of claims and willingness to correct misinformation
• CONDUCT – Tone, professionalism, and respect for opponents
• COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT – Involvement and responsiveness to voter concerns
• LEADERSHIP READINESS – Experience, temperament, and preparedness for the role

Mayoral Candidate Kim Learnard

Mayor Kim Learnard’s first term has been defined by competence, energy, and results. She has led Peachtree City through steady growth and civic turbulence, and despite the noise, the city today is stable, well managed, and financially sound.

Since taking office in January 2022, Learnard has delivered measurable progress on safety, redevelopment, and fiscal stewardship. Both the Police and Fire Departments are fully staffed, a rare distinction when cities across Georgia face ongoing shortages. Part I crimes dropped 25% from early 2024 to early 2025. Peachtree City’s millage rate remains lower than those of neighboring Fayetteville and Tyrone, keeping the city among the most tax-efficient municipalities in the county. The city has maintained its AAA bond rating and opted into the new state program that provides property tax relief for low-income seniors. Healthy reserves provide cushion for emergencies, economic changes, and projects tied to aging infrastructure.

Her focus on redevelopment has produced clear wins. She blocked two apartment proposals at the former Kmart site, which has now reopened with Ace Pickleball as anchor tenant. Trader Joe’s is finally coming to town, the Willow District redevelopment is underway, and long-vacant storefronts at The Avenue and Kedron Village are being filled. She hired the city’s first full-time economic development manager, a small but important step that has already helped recruit businesses and revitalize aging commercial centers.

Recreation has also advanced under Learnard’s leadership. She led adoption of the 2025 Parks and Recreation Master Plan — the first comprehensive update in fifteen years — following input from more than 2,400 residents.

Learnard’s relationships with council members have been effective but not without tension. She can be direct to the point of bluntness when challenged, and her decisiveness sometimes comes across as impatience with dissent. That edge has not prevented the council from doing its work, but it has contributed to moments of friction that could have been avoided with a lighter touch.

The real blemish on her record is the Stagecoach Road annexation. The 52-acre project was unanimously rejected by the Planning Commission for failing to align with the city’s 2014 Growth Boundary Study. Yet in September 2023, city council voted 4 to 1 to approve it with Learnard in the majority. Her rationale, that Peachtree City was better off managing the development than leaving it to the county, missed the larger principle. Plans exist for a reason. This one ignored the city’s own map, its environmental sensitivities, and the narrow fiscal margin of benefit. It was a mistake with lasting consequences.

But taken as a whole, Learnard’s record is one of effective, forward-looking leadership. She has improved public safety, maintained fiscal discipline, and revitalized aging commercial corridors. She has advanced long-term recreation planning and positioned the city for continued growth. The Stagecoach Road annexation was a significant misstep, and her sometimes combative style has created unnecessary friction. But these shortcomings do not outweigh the substantial progress she has delivered. Peachtree City today is safer, more financially stable, and better positioned for the future than it was four years ago.

• OVERALL – 4.0
• POLICY SUBSTANCE – 4.0
• TRUTHFULNESS – 4.0
• CONDUCT – 3.0
• COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT – 4.5
• LEADERSHIP READINESS – 4.5

Mayoral Candidate Steve Brown

Nearly twenty years ago, Steve Brown served as mayor of Peachtree City. His administration was mired in dysfunction as he spent his term feuding with council members and staff rather than advancing projects that benefited residents. When he ran for reelection in 2005, 70% of voters rejected him in what remains one of the largest electoral defeats in city history. Now Brown is trying again, and he has spent this campaign exactly as he governed: bitter and consumed with personal grievances that do not address Peachtree City’s actual challenges.

When he does speak about issues, Brown relies on misinformation. He says citizens are being silenced at council meetings despite the expanded public comment period and livestreamed sessions. He warns that “urbanization” is overrunning the city despite the city’s pushback on every recent apartment proposal, including a 175-unit project on Aberdeen Parkway that the Planning Commission unanimously denied. He has accused Mayor Learnard of corruption despite a review finding no wrongdoing. Facts do not deter him. When challenged, he simply repeats the same false claims as though repetition makes them true.

Brown’s false claims and attacks fill the space where policy should be. Voters are left with no sense of what he would actually do as mayor beyond repeating the same pattern of complaint and conflict that defined his first term. After months of campaigning, he has failed to present a single credible plan for improving city services, supporting recreation, strengthening public safety, or managing growth.

The few ideas Brown has shared reveal how poorly conceived his approach is. He wants unlimited public comment at meetings, a policy that risks preventing the council from completing city business. He opposes the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, claiming it would cost $200 million even though no such figure exists in the plan or budget. He calls for tax cuts without explaining what programs or services he would eliminate to pay for them. These are not serious proposals. They are points designed to sound appealing, but they fall apart under scrutiny.

Peachtree City deserves leadership that builds. Brown’s return would not solve our problems or move the city forward. It would reignite the chaos.

• OVERALL – 1.0
• POLICY SUBSTANCE – 1.0
• TRUTHFULNESS – 1.0
• CONDUCT – 1.0
• COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT – 1.5
• LEADERSHIP READINESS – 1.0

Post 4 Candidate James Clifton

James Clifton had potential. He is intelligent and entered this race with an opportunity to bring fresh ideas and independent thinking to city hall. That promise never materialized. Instead of developing his own platform, Clifton is just an extension of Steve Brown’s campaign.

The overlap is hard to miss. On citizen participation, Clifton copies Brown’s outdated claim that residents are being “silenced” at meetings, even though city council revised its public comment rules last year to allow three minutes per speaker and regularly extends the total time so everyone can speak. On the Parks & Recreation Master Plan, he repeats Brown’s misleading claim that it’s a “spending spree,” ignoring that it is a long-term guide with phased priorities and no approved funding total. On taxes, he echoes Brown’s “record tax increase” rhetoric even though the city’s millage rate was lowered and our financial position is strong. Even his warnings about “urbanization” match Brown’s language rather than reflecting his own research or perspective.

His lack of independence extends beyond policy to style. Clifton has adopted Brown’s combative approach, focusing on personal attacks and social-media accusations instead of ideas. 

The connection became explicit when Brown publicly wrote to The Citizen, “If you’re not voting for Mr. Clifton, please don’t vote for me—I need a firm majority.” Clifton is not running to represent residents. He is running to give Brown a vote on the council.

This is why Clifton cannot be rated on the standard 1-to-5 scale. He has failed to meet the minimum threshold required to be evaluated as an independent candidate. A candidate who gets the facts wrong but thinks independently deserves criticism and a low rating. A candidate who abandons his independence entirely and operates as a proxy for someone else’s agenda cannot be assessed as though he were running his own campaign.

Peachtree City needs council members who can analyze issues, collaborate, and make decisions based on evidence rather than loyalty. Clifton has shown he cannot or will not do that. He has positioned himself as a rubber stamp for a political ally who compensates for a lack of leadership with anger.

• OVERALL – Not applicable
• POLICY SUBSTANCE – Not applicable
• TRUTHFULNESS – Not applicable
• CONDUCT – Not applicable
• COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT – Not applicable
• LEADERSHIP READINESS – Not applicable

Post 4 Candidate Michael Polacek

Michael Polacek has run a disciplined, professional campaign focused on tone, transparency, and process. His résumé is substantial and local. He grew up in Peachtree City, worked as a budget writer for the Georgia House, later held senior roles in the Kemp administration, and currently serves as Director of Health Policy at Piedmont Healthcare. And unlike James Clifton, he has already served the city as a volunteer on the Recreation Advisory Board.

On fiscal policy, Polacek’s headline promise is annual millage rollbacks. He says his own assessment rose about 80% and argues residents are feeling the same pressure. He favors using portions of the city’s cash reserves for infrastructure while maintaining the AAA bond rating. Those ideas speak to voter concerns, but his answers have lacked specifics on what gets reduced or delayed to fund the rollbacks.

One of his weaker ideas concerns quality of life. He wants the city to run yard-debris pickup within the existing budget, but private haulers already provide this service and he has not worked out the logistics or costs.

On redevelopment and growth, Polacek opposes new apartments and residential rezonings of commercial or industrial land. He supports updating the city’s 2014 growth boundary study, evaluating annexations case by case for revenue-positive outcomes, and continuing the city’s modernization with the Unified Development Ordinance. These positions fit a protect-the-villages, maintain-the-tax-base framework, though he still needs to show how that translates into a prioritized redevelopment map.

His transportation answers are grounded in reality. He states plainly that 54/74 is a state project and that city dollars will not solve it. He argues his value is relationships with GDOT and state leaders, and he points to roundabouts for local hot spots like Robinson at Peachtree Parkway and Walt Banks by McIntosh as targeted, lower-cost fixes. He also supports the ADA upgrades on the cart path network through SPLOST dollars, including smoother speed-hump transitions and tunnel work.

Polacek’s service on the Recreation Advisory Board shows he will say no when he believes a project location is wrong. He supported expanding pickleball but voted against placing courts near Planterra because of traffic concerns.

So where does this leave him? Polacek brings credible state-level experience and a calm style that would serve the city well. His realistic approach to transportation and willingness to push back on poorly placed projects suggest he can think critically rather than simply vote yes on everything.

But he also carries significant policy gaps. The annual rollback pledge and city-run yard-debris pickup are not yet supported by workable numbers or implementation plans that add up. 

Polacek would likely be a competent, professional council member who could improve communication with state agencies and bring discipline to budget discussions. He would not be transformational, and voters should not expect his campaign promises to materialize without significant revision. He is an acceptable choice for voters who value experience and relationships over detailed policy plans.

• OVERALL – 3.5
• POLICY SUBSTANCE – 2.0
• TRUTHFULNESS – 4.0
• CONDUCT – 4.0
• COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT – 4.0
• LEADERSHIP READINESS – 3.0

Post 3 Candidate Joe Campbell

Joe Campbell has run one of the most straightforward and good-faith campaigns of this election. He has focused on communication, common sense, and collaboration (three qualities Peachtree City could always use more of). He represents the kind of steady, approachable leadership that would help the city function as it should.

Campbell’s professional background in management shows through in how he talks about city issues. He understands maintenance, budgets, and project planning, and he often frames his points in practical terms rather than political ones. His emphasis on infrastructure upkeep, safety, and fiscal discipline fits well with the city’s priorities over the next several years. He has consistently called for maintaining Peachtree City’s assets before taking on new commitments, which is a realistic and responsible message.

His demeanor has also been an asset. Campbell listens. He answers questions directly. He acknowledges when he does not know something and makes a point of learning before speaking. 

What also sets Campbell apart in this race is his ability to build consensus without sacrificing principle. City councils are small bodies where a single combative member can paralyze progress. Campbell has demonstrated the temperament to work constructively with staff, fellow council members, and residents who disagree with him. After a campaign season dominated by division and personal attacks, that collaborative instinct is not just refreshing. It is necessary. 

Campbell’s platform is grounded in pragmatism. He supports the city’s Unified Development Ordinance project and recognizes the need to simplify and modernize its rules. He agrees with the importance of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan as a long-term guide, though he wants to see clear prioritization of projects and funding sources before major commitments are made. He has also expressed interest in finding creative ways to improve traffic flow within the city, such as studying roundabouts or signal timing before making large-scale changes. 

Where Campbell falls short is in the breadth and depth of his platform. His answers in The Citizen‘s questionnaire and at public forums have often stayed in safe territory. He avoids making strong statements on controversial issues such as annexation, redevelopment, or future density. When pressed on whether he would support new housing or boundary adjustments, his responses are cautious to the point of vagueness. That restraint might serve him well on council by avoiding unnecessary conflict, but it also makes it harder for voters to know where he stands when hard decisions arise. 

Campbell has kept his campaign clean and issue-focused, which deserves real credit in a year dominated by negativity. He has not taken the bait on personal attacks, nor has he aligned himself with any political faction. His independence is genuine. If elected, he would likely be the kind of council member who asks questions, listens to staff, and votes based on facts rather than alliances.

• OVERALL – 4.0
• POLICY SUBSTANCE – 3.0
• TRUTHFULNESS – 4.5
• CONDUCT – 4.5
• COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT – 4.0
• LEADERSHIP READINESS – 3.5

Post 3 Candidate Clint Holland

Clint Holland is one of the most engaged and prepared members on city council. He is active in the community, responsive to residents, and consistently ready when it comes to city business. Holland is at his best when he sticks to the facts and asks questions grounded in the city’s own ordinances and plans. He is thorough, analytical, and committed to fiscal restraint, transparency, and adherence to process.

Holland’s lone vote against the Stagecoach Road annexation remains the clearest example of that approach. He opposed the proposal because it conflicted with the city’s 2014 Growth Boundary Study, failed to show a clear fiscal benefit, and ignored the Planning Commission’s unanimous recommendation. His stance was rooted in consistency, not politics. It reflected a genuine belief that the city should follow its own plans rather than make case-by-case exceptions.

He has been particularly vocal on fiscal accountability, regularly pressing for clear justification before committing taxpayer money.

He is also accessible and responsive. Residents regularly mention that he returns emails, answers questions directly, and shows up ready to listen. His commitment to serving Peachtree City is authentic, and for the record, I like Holland immensely on a personal level—which is saying something given that I ran against him for this seat in 2022 and lost.

Where Holland has struggled is finding the right balance between healthy skepticism and effective collaboration. During the FY26 budget process, his insistence on changing direction late in deliberations disrupted what is usually a smooth exercise. His intensity in that moment, while reflecting genuine concern about taxpayer dollars, made it harder for the council to move forward productively.

Holland’s thoroughness is one of his greatest assets, but it can sometimes tip into rigidity. Small councils rely on working relationships, and when debate becomes friction, progress slows. His principles and preparation are exemplary, but his challenge is learning when to press hard and when to build consensus.

To be fair, Holland is not alone in this. As I previously noted, Mayor Learnard has at times shown a similar edge when challenged, and council dynamics are shaped by more than one person. When multiple voices approach disagreement as confrontation rather than debate, the entire body suffers. Holland’s willingness to moderate his approach and work more collaboratively would make him more effective.

Holland’s first term has been marked by effort, integrity, and preparation. But governing requires more than being right. It requires the ability to persuade, to compromise when necessary, and to maintain productive relationships even in disagreement.

• OVERALL – 4.0
• POLICY SUBSTANCE – 4.0
• TRUTHFULNESS – 4.5
• CONDUCT – 3.0
• COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT – 4.5
• LEADERSHIP READINESS – 3.5

Now It’s Your Turn

This election has revealed who these candidates truly are. Not just through their ideas or promises, but through their choices. How they campaigned. Whether they told the truth. Whether they stood on their own or copied someone else’s script.

These are my judgments based on what I’ve observed throughout 2025. You’re free to disagree, and I welcome it. But if you do, make a real case. Point to the votes, the statements, the platforms. Use evidence, not emotion. Name-calling and motive-questioning are what people resort to when they don’t have an argument.

But whether you agree with my assessments or not, one thing remains true: Peachtree City deserves leaders who tell the truth, think for themselves, and govern for the community.

The candidates have shown you who they are. Some came ready to lead. Others did not.

Information on how to vote is below. 

Make your voice count.

How To Vote

Here is when you can participate in advance in-person voting:

• Monday through Saturday, October 20 through 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Monday through Friday, October 27 through 31, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Here is where you can participate in advance in-person voting:

• Peachtree City Library – 201 Willowbend Road, Peachtree City, Georgia 30269
• Fayette County Elections Office – 175 Johnson Avenue, Suite B, Fayetteville, Georgia 30214
• Fayette County Library – 1821 Heritage Parkway, Fayetteville, Georgia 30214
• Tyrone Recreation Offices – 945 Senoia Road, Tyrone, Georgia 30290

If you don’t vote early, Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, at your regular polling place.