Open Letter to Tom Rice and David Shafer

Below is an Open Letter to State Representative Tom Rice and State Senator David Shafer.  We encourage other concerned citizens and city council candidates to join us in expressing our extreme concern and outrage at the current legislation that would basically swap land from Peachtree Corners to Berkeley Land by legislative fiat with no input from citizens or business owners.

Editor's note: This open letter to Sen. Shafer and Rep. Rice was co-authored by Alex Wright and Jeanne Aulbach, both are Peachtree Corners residents.

Gentlemen,

We are writing to you because of our extreme disappointment in the manner in which the proposed annexation by the city of Berkeley Lake of businesses within the boundaries of the new city of Peachtree Corners is being handled.  Based on the current information available to the general public, you completely bypassed the citizens and businesses of Peachtree Corners in what appears to be a land grab by Berkeley Lake.

We are also very disappointed in the secretiveness of these negotiations.  One of the reasons that the public has such a low opinion of our elected leaders is because they do not feel like their views and opinions are valued.  This type of back room dealing, however well intentioned it may be, only reinforces that view.  Many of us like to believe that maybe it is just in Washington DC that the voters are so summarily dismissed but, to our great disappointment, it appears that same type of attitude is local as well. 

It is extremely frustrating as both citizens and as potential city council members, that you could not wait to attempt to pass the legislation or broker some type of compromise before the city had anyone in an official capacity to speak for it.  How can our new city prove to its citizens that we will fight for them if our current elected leaders at a state level do back room deals that make our charter appear to be as worthless as the paper it is printed on?

We ask that you pull back your support for this legislation and that you ask the Senate to either not call for a vote on this bill or that you recommend a NO vote in the Senate. If it passes the Senate, we, the citizens of Peachtree Corners, will be forced to consider the possibility of organizing a campaign to ask the Governor not to sign this legislation.

Please give the City of Peachtree Corners the opportunity to work with Berkeley Lake on this issue once we have a government that can speak to this issue.  We voted on November 8 to become a city because we wanted self-determination.  Please allow us to determine our borders with Berkeley Lake.  Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated.  

Regards

Jeanne Aulbach - Candidate for Peachtree Corners City Council - Post 4

4900 Avocet Drive

Peachtree Corners, GA 30096

404 786-4825

Alex Wright - Candidate for Peachtree Corners City Council - Post 3

4752 Riveredge Drive

Peachtree Corners, GA 30096

770-331-4319