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To my hometown of Peachtree City,
My name is Michael Polacek and I’m excited to have officially qualified for the Peachtree City Council race for Post 4.
My family is now raising its third generation here. It’s no secret that Peachtree City is one of the best and safest places in the country to retire and raise a family. It’s the same reason why my wife, Erin, and I decided to move back to raise our kids. Since 1995, I’ve witnessed how this community has evolved and thrived. Today, I have the unique experience of driving my kids around on the same golf cart paths I explored as a kid – the same paths, greenways, and parks that have been protected and preserved for decades now.
I’m running to protect what makes our community special, while also striving to make it even better for the generations to come – for my family and yours. I want to see it continue to thrive for my mother who retired here and for my own retirement a few decades from now. I am committed to preserving the principles that our founders laid out for Peachtree City that has made it one of the best communities to live in.
In addition to preserving and protecting what we love about Peachtree City, it’s just as important that our city government is grounded in fiscal responsibility and transparency. A better government starts with better budgeting and total transparency. My parents escaped a communist regime, and I’ve heard the stories, so I will always fight for anyone’s first amendment rights.
Professionally, I’ve spent my career in policymaking and helping craft Georgia’s $36 billion budget while working in the Georgia House of Representatives. I later advanced to senior leadership positions under the Kemp administration, where I managed constituent services for a large state agency and worked on complex policy issues such as mental health and the opioid crisis. Today, I work at Piedmont Healthcare as the Director of Health Policy, helping expand graduate medical education opportunities statewide. I also have the pleasure of serving on the city’s Recreation Advisory Board, something I am passionate about.
My professional experience has taught me what it takes to balance a budget, identify government waste, and scrutinize programs that are underperforming. Balancing a budget is the easy part. The challenge is identifying the funding mechanisms and common-sense policies that will maximize the return on every tax dollar for those being taxed. This work requires discipline, attention to detail, and an unwavering commitment to taxpayers. Residents expect to live in a safe and stable community with a high quality of life — and they deserve the confidence that this can be achieved without being taxed out of their homes.
Since my announcement earlier this summer, I’ve met with business owners, local leaders, and residents on issues important to them. I’m proud to lay out a vision that is grounded in fiscal conservatism, common sense local policies, and backed by my years of public service at the state Capitol.
Key elements of my comprehensive policy platform include:
- Fiscal Responsibility & Transparency: Full rollback of the millage rate, partially reducing cash reserves to fund infrastructure improvements, and expanding opportunities for citizen input through town halls and the elimination of time constraints for public comment at city council meetings.
- Enhancing Quality of Life: Launching a city-run yard debris pickup program, enhancing recreational amenities, revitalizing underused commercial spaces to attract restaurants and businesses, and increasing the number of entertainment options and community events.
- Preserving & Protecting Peachtree City: Protecting green spaces, preserving village identity, opposing new apartments or rezoning of industrial/commercial land for residential use, fully supporting our law enforcement, and putting a stop to cryptocurrency scams targeting seniors.
- Infrastructure & Traffic Solutions: Additional improvements to pathway system, leveraging strong relationships with state and regional relationships to improve traffic conditions, and opposing developments that increase congestion without community-supported alternatives.
I envision a future for Peachtree City that continues to attract the next generation of families, while remaining grounded in its safety and charm. A future that is fiscally responsible and full of opportunity — where every resident enjoys a high quality of life and feels confident their hard-earned tax dollars are working for them. A future that leaves political showmanship out of our city hall, leaving you with a city government that operates with transparency, efficiency, and plain old-fashioned common sense. These are principles that have guided my career in public service and principles I will bring with me to city council. I would be honored to earn the vote of my hometown, and I look forward to seeing you all on the campaign trail soon!
Michael Polacek
Peachtree City
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