Visitors to Peachtree City

will start chipping in more now that the City Council has approved an

increase in the hotel-motel tax from 3 to 5 percent.

Estimates call for the increase

to add $376,000 annually to the city, but Georgia law requires the hotel-motel

tax funds to be spent on tourism-related initiatives and programs. Mayor

Bob Lenox has said he wants to use the increased revenue to fund the expansion

of the city's tennis center by adding six covered courts and a new office

building for the center with enough room for another tenant.

The hotel-motel tax money would

also be used to pay off $2 million in debt accrued by the Airport Authority

and Development Authority. In a memo to council, City Manager Jim Basinger

explained that some of the tax would also go to the general fund to pay

for sports complexe and cart paths.

Currently, the tennis center

is leasing office space off-site to fill the needs for its 33 employees.

Proponents of using the hotel-motel

tax for the tennis center argue that with tournaments on weekends and

other events, the tennis center is responsible for luring tourists to

Peachtree City.

Tennis Center Director Virgil

Christian told The Citizen that the covered courts would help the center

recruit major college tournaments. Officials have begun to explore seeking

the 2003 ACC Championship tennis tournament, Christian said.

The covered courts would allow

the matches to be played even during inclement weather, Christian added.

The estimated annual payment

for the $2.5 million tennis center expansion is $239,000. Taking that

from the estimated annual hotel-motel tax increase leaves an additional

$137,000 for the general fund and, possibly, the airport authority.

One of the Airport Authority's

chief concerns involves acquiring land adjacent to the airport so it can

make sure the land is developed for airport uses.

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