To say the Development Authority

of Peachtree City was caught off guard by last week's request from Mayor

Steve Brown for a mass resignation might just be an understatement.

But it appears the mayor's

request won't be honored, as all seven authority members attended the

authority's regular meeting Monday night. And Tuesday morning Brown backed

off his stance somewhat.

"I called for the resignations

out of absolute and utter frustration over not being about to get things

done appropriately and properly," Brown said. "We're talking

about taxpayer money and city facilities."

At Monday's authority meeting,

authority member Scott Bradshaw said to his knowledge, none of the authority

members intended to resign from their post.

"We're just trying to

do our job and do it well and we believe we have done that," said

authority chairman Tate Godfrey. "We're proud of the authority's

record and its members and the work they do."

Brown told The Citizen last

week that he wanted the entire authority to resign, including its executive

director, Virgil Christian. Brown said he felt the authority has mismanaged

city funds, particularly due to recent cost overruns associated with the

recent expansion of the tennis center, which added six covered courts

and an office building that includes a restaurant and pro shop.

Authority officials have contended

the overruns for the project, which total $287,000, were unavoidable.

The entire project was originally budgeted for $2.5 million. The overruns

include $25,000 for overages on the construction of the covered tennis

courts and $23,000 to the architect of the project, Christian said.

Since his call for the resignations

last week, Brown said, "I think we have a much better tone now."

Brown's request for the resignations

came weeks after council approved a long-sought agreement to cut the authority's

share of the city's hotel-motel tax revenues. In exchange, council agreed

to take on the authority's $1.45 million in debt that has accrued since

it took over the operations of the amphitheater and tennis center. Most

of that debt was accrued in building the tennis center and adding improvements

to both facilities, according to authority records.

After Brown's resignation request

last week, the committee that brokered the new hotel-motel tax deal met

twice to discuss the issues. That committee included authority members

Robert Brooks, Brian Palmitessa and Doug Warner along with council members

Dan Tennant and Murray Weed.

Brooks told the authority Monday

night that from those meetings, it has been determined that "really

nothing has changed" and that Tennant and Weed were looking into

the best avenue for the city to assume the authority's debt.

Brown wants to create a recreation

authority to issue bonds to retire the debt, which he said would save

the city on financing costs. Since a new authority would require enabling

legislation, time is of the essence, Brown said Tuesday.

But a new recreation authority

issuing bonds may not be the only option, Brooks said at Monday's authority

meeting.

The committee also decided

it would be a good idea to develop a joint statement from both parties

saying "that we are back on track," Brooks said.

"It has been a difficult

time for all of us," said authority member Doug Warner. "I ask

that we all try to go forward with a positive attitude and try to get

this thing resolved."

Godfrey lauded the committee's

work,, noting they devoted "a lot of their personal time" to

the issue.

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