Do something about unopposed politicians running for Peachtree City Council

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Two of our Peachtree City Council members are running again for another 4-year term. They can run but let’s not let them run unopposed. Clearly there are citizens out there who can do a better job. One of the key requirements is to think clearly on how to best use our tax dollars.

This has not been the case during the four years the incumbents have been on council. Millions upon millions of dollars have been squandered away and you have never been the wiser. This is why your taxes keep going up.

What solutions have they provided to the horrible traffic issues, which they helped create? What have they done to fix the 74/54 debacle?

Why are they allowing more homes to be built without a tax base to support it? Industries don’t want to come here anymore because they can’t afford the taxes.

What has been done with over $2 million of extra SPLOST revenue we have received from the county? Amazingly, nobody has ever been told. What do they intend to do with the additional $4 million dollars of SPLOST that is anticipated over the next few years? Again, nobody knows. Public monies should always be clearly accounted for and publicly shared.

Has either incumbent completed anything on his own that has made Peachtree City a better place to live? Not really. Sure, an overpriced pavilion that should have cost less than $50,000 has been added to Drake Field. A pavilion is nice but let’s talk price. It’s a cement pad with a roof over it. No electricity, no water. Why did we pay $234,000?

And now they want a 20 percent raise. The argument that good people won’t run for office because of pay is balderdash. You don’t run for public office for the pay. You serve to do what’s in the best interest of the citizens. Period.

Recently they wanted to sue you if you said something they didn’t like about them. That doesn’t sound like they are pro-residents. Plus isn’t that counter to the First Amendment to the Constitution?

They dissolved the PTC Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) to reduce costs to the residents. Then they promptly found a way to make our monthly bill higher, all while maintaining that pesky second stormwater bill. These problems can and should be fixed.

Don’t ever forget, they even wanted Great Wolf Lodge smack in the middle of one our residential communities. Good grief.

They have successfully transformed Peachtree City into a residential community – great for Realtors, not so much for us. The original intent of the city is gone … but can be recovered with new council members.

We need new council members not career politicians. Unfortunately voter turnout favors incumbents. We’ve got to do better than allowing 8 percent of eligible voters decide who spends our tax money, who decides our land use, and who solves our traffic issues.

Candidates need to go to city hall during the week of Aug. 19 to Aug. 23 and pay the qualifying fee of $360, which gets your name on the ballot. The office is open daily between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Eric Imker

Peachtree City, Ga.

[Imker is a former councilman and mayoral candidate.]

10 COMMENTS

  1. Don Haddix – You lost the lawsuit. I know you can twist like Chubby Checker with fire ants in his boxers,
    but no matter how much twisting you do, no matter how hard you close your eyes and click your red slippers, it is a known and published fact that you paid Logsdon $3,000 in damages and agreed to publicly apologize for lying about a former city official. Yes, it is also true that the nearly $10K in legal fees incurred for your personal legal representation was dumped on the taxpayers of this city to pay.
    But this gives us a golden teach-and-learn opportunity Don so let me learnt you some! Here in the U.S. when two parties are engaged in a civil lawsuit, and the lawsuit ends with one party paying the other thousands of dollars along with agreeing to be legally bound to issuing a public apology to that same other party, we would refer to the payer and apologizer as the LOSER of that civil lawsuit. Yes, Don you were the LOSER in that situation.

    • Dream on. It never went to trial. It was withdrawn with a signed admission I could legally tell anyone I was innocent.

      GIRMA refunded my legal charges because they said there were no grounds for the lawsuit.

      I never apologized publicly.

      If you wish to claim otherwise publish the apology.

      Now you deal the issues found here about you.

      Dream on. It never went to trial. It was withdrawn with a signed admission I could legally tell anyone I was innocent.

      GIRMA refunded my legal charges because they said there were no grounds for the lawsuit.

      I never apologized publicly.

      If you wish to claim otherwise publish the apology.

      Now you deal the issues found here about you.

      Dream on. It never went to trial. It was withdrawn with a signed admission I could legally tell anyone I was innocent.

      GIRMA refunded my legal charges because they said there were no grounds for the lawsuit.

      I never apologized publicly.

      If you wish to claim otherwise publish the apology.

      Now you deal the issues found here about you.

      Dream on. It never went to trial. It was withdrawn with a signed admission I could legally tell anyone I was innocent.

      GIRMA refunded my legal charges because they said there were no grounds for the lawsuit.

      I never apologized publicly.

      If you wish to claim otherwise publish the apology.

      Now you deal the issues found here about you.

      https://thecitizen.com/2014/02/26/ptc-revamps-ethics-rules-ditches-citizen-involvement/

  2. Thank you Don and Eric. Thank you very much. Thank you for leaving the stage for whatever reason. Thank you for your input – the “but he did this or he said this” stuff is entertaining.

    And especially thank you for pointing out that so far Councilmen Prebor and King are running unopposed. I agree that if someone can do a better job or thinks they have some new and novel idea about how to be a city council person that they should run for office.

    So especially thank you both for your silly and immature vents or rants and the fact that neither one of you announced yourself as a candidate. What a great country. We get to hear your childish stuff but are not subjected to living under the thumb of your rule. Kind of like the 20 Dems debating who can do the most harm to the country if elected.

    And thank you Cal for creating a forum where Don and Eric can vent their silly little petty gripes and all we have to do is read them or not. We don’t have to be lectured from the Dias and we don’t have to pay for a $10,000 libel suit anymore. BTW, I wonder what Logsdon did with the $10k of tax payer dollars he received from our worst mayor ever. Steve Brown is a close second, but he didn’t steal money – only 2 hours of Gloria’s time to pick up his kids from soccer practice.

    Thank you all again. What a great city. What a great country.

    • If I run for anything again it will be for Mayor.

      I was never found guilty of anything. My accusers were and had to do retractions. So they are the ones that cost taxpayers money, not me. A lot more than $10,000.

      Logsdon did not get $10,000, it was for legal fees caused by my false accusers. He withdrew his lawsuit .

      • Guilty, guilty, guilty. All 3 times. Censured by the speech and letterhead police on city council, tried in the court of public opinion for using city funds for a personal lawsuit and sentenced to be a last place candidate (twice under 5%) by the God’s of political reality – aka the voters.

        Peachtree City has had 2 great mayors in the last 20 years – Bob Lenox and Vanessa Fleisch or 3 in the last 30 including Fred Brown. Next logical mayor would be Mike or Terry.

        And to follow them on city council – Stan Pye, Mike LaTella, Betsy Tyler or David Rast. I think we have learned that knowledge and experience without a bunch of personal drama is the way to select leaders.

        • A censure is not a legal finding. It is an opinion that was passed with the minimum three vote. A condemnation for not supporting the TSPLOST and creating a downtown for Peachtree City.

          And of course a pro-developer like you praises pro-developer mayors.

          Mike LaTella has been Fleisch’s head cheerleader.

          When Fred Brown left office he went to work for PCDC.

          David Rast also was a major developer supporter who made a lot of mistakes.

          Mike and Terry are members of the mayor’s royal court.

          • This is like teasing a cross-eyed kitten with a ball of yarn. Sadly the kitten has gotten even darker and is now verging on total insanity.

            Fred Brown working for PCDC? Mayor’s royal court?

            I’m done with this before he insults and defiles more good people.

  3. Eric, the items that are being paid for with SPLOST are clearly delineated on the city website… here is the link https://www.peachtree-city.org/1117/2017-SPLOST-Information. If more money is collected than anticipated then that will be divided up among the local entities as originally outlined before the SPLOST was even voted on and will be accounted for. There aren’t any burlap sacks full of dollars and coins in the back of anyone’s trunk. I know you know that, so who are you trying to fool?
    The real truth is that you were part of the committee assembled to determine how best to utilize the SPLOST dollars (should it pass) and you represented the Golfview area to make sure their interests were voiced. But when you tried to push through your fuzzy math numbers on the rest of us and we wouldn’t buy into it, you took your marbles and went home. Your neighborhood was not represented and you were a whiny baby in the sandbox because you couldn’t have all the toys.
    You have been beating the drum now for a couple of months on how this council needs to be replaced. Regardless of the truth in that statement, if you intend on running heed this observation… if you can’t show up to the meetings when you are part of a community involvement initiative – and then on the rare occasions when you do show up you refuse to play nice if you don’t get your way, you don’t deserve to be chosen as a leader for our city.

  4. I guess Imker needs a reminder that when I was mayor he was the one constantly pushing for council to take over WASA.

    I opposed it and said we needed to rewrite the charter so that they could not put sewer outside of the city without council approval.

    I listed all the problems the city take over, which he ignored.

    He seems to be forgetting his history of proposing and supporting tax increases.

    I have detailed the history on donhaddix.com

    But I do agree we need two new councilmembers.

    I do not believe he is running because he has his eyes on being mayor, which would be another disaster.

    I listed all the problems if the city takes over, which he ignored.

    I have detailed the history on donhaddix.com

    But I do agree we need two new councilmembers.

    I do not believe he is running because he has his eyes on being mayor, which would be another disaster.