Peachtree City Post 1 Councilman-elect Phil Prebor is just days away from his first council meeting. The former Planning Commission member has his sights on learning his new job and accomplishing what is best for the city.
Prebor was asked to provide an overall outlook on the approach he expects to take as he transitions from the Peachtree City Planning Commission to a council member.
“Overall, I’m excited about serving on the council. I’m anxious to relay the citizen’s wishes on decision-making in the best interest of the city as a whole. I’ll be trying to get my message across that I receive from citizens, to get in good debates and to look at things logically,” said Prebor. “What I want to do is bring a sense of ‘we’re all in it together.’ It’s our city and city hall. We want what’s best for the city. If all the stakeholders keep that in mind we can work together for what’s in the best interest of the city.”
Prebor several years ago served on the city’s Needs Assessment Committee and was appointed to the Peachtree City Planning Commission in 2014.
Prebor said serving as a planning commissioner provided an advantage to transitioning to the role of councilman.
“It’s given me a better understanding of the inner workings of city hall and how things are done, of city staff and the types of work they do,” said Prebor.
Citing examples of the work of staff in the planning department, Prebor said they assist citizens, homeowners and business large and small.
“Planning staff deal with a variety of issues,” Prebor said. “Having the experience on the planning commission makes me realize that I have a lot of information to dig into and learn about.”
Prebor noted that the mass of issues that come before the City Council involve a larger variety of topics than what he experienced as a planning commissioner.
“I learned some of the intricacies of the city’s operation when I served on the Needs Assessment Committee,” Prebor said, noting the staff who work in the various departments of city government. “I have to reach out to staff to get an understanding of their day-to-day job and what they deal with.”
Asked about his take on raises for city staff and the recent raises which were approved, Prebor he wants city staff to be fairly compensated.
Prebor said he was not certain if the raises were warranted, though “if they were, we needed to find the means within the budget and not use reserves.”
Prebor also said he would see to it that all emails to him received a response.
Prebor said he will spend a significant amount of time in council training and in learning to work effectively with the Fayette County Commission, Fayette County Board of Education and the various state departments.
