This is Bob

Lenox's last year to leave a mark on Peachtree City.

The longtime

mayor is about to finish his last year in office, since term limits prohibit

him from carrying out another term. He could run for a council seat but

he has no plans to do so.

That makes

this year Lenox's last hurrah. And there are several things he'd like

to see happen before he leaves office.

One of the

top items is the establishment of a cultural arts center in the city.

"We have

plenty of places for you to play basketball and the like, but we don't

have anywhere for you to watch a play," Lenox said in a special interview

Wednesday afternoon.

The city may

be able to partner with the Endowment Committee for Cultural Arts of Fayette

County to help get a performance arts venue running for the city. The

city could manage the facility on a day-to-day basis, and ECCA has offered

to raise the funds to renovate a structure.

"They

need to raise $300,000 and I believe they can do it," Lenox said.

One possible

location for the venue is the currently vacant movie theatre at Westpark

Walk. Lenox said he has been working diligently to find funds to help

make the performing arts facility a reality.

"I'd like

to make that happen now," Lenox said.

Another of

his goals is to "maximize the airport's contribution to the community,"

Lenox said.

Other items

on the mayor's wish list are admittedly more long-term and would likely

occur after he has left office. They include a community center which

could also serve teens and senior citizens and the completion of the development

of the industrial park.

Lenox challenges

his successors to continue the pursuit of those two goals especially.

The community

center would also be a great place to hold a variety of community education

classes which can't be offered now because there's no space available,

Lenox said.

"We have

so much demand for classroom space," Lenox noted.

Completing

the industrial park development is important because local industries

provide a variety of jobs for different types of people in the community,

the mayor added.

"First,

those companies give back to the community," Lenox said. "Second,

you don't have to drive 33 miles a day to get there."

Lenox said

the city has been running well because of the hard work from employees,

which citizens sometimes take for granted. The City Council, however,

has tried to recognize the employees' work, particularly through the recent

pay plan that was adopted that gave raises to many city employees.

"We didn't

go from being ordinary to being extraordinary in just one day," Lenox

said, noting that employees care about their jobs and offer suggestions

on how to improve city services. "They make this place work. They're

the best I've ever seen, bar none, and it's not an accident."

In recent speeches

to civic clubs, Lenox has emphasized the importance of satisfied citizens

speaking up. Complaints about city government have increasingly come from

the same people, leading Lenox to believe that there's a "silent

majority" out there that's happy with the status quo but doesn't

share that view out loud.

"I am

convinced that 90 percent of the people in Peachtree City are satisfied

and happy with the way things are being run," Lenox said.

The most important

things city governments should provide include a feeling of safety, a

solid education for children, the protection of property values, cost-efficient

government and a sense of community, Lenox added.

"The key

thing is to make sure that what we have built is sustainable," Lenox

said.