Peachtree Corners Cityhood Opposition Group Meets

Not all in the community are in favor of the incorporation effort to make Peachtree Corners into a city.

The Peachtree Corners Ballot Committee, comprised of a group of residents who are opposed to the community becoming the county's 16th city, met recently to distribute black "Vote No" signs and discuss their reasons for voting down the Nov. 8 referendum.

Patch attended after noticing an invitation on the "Vote 'NO' to The City of Peachtree Corners" Facebook page. The meeting was held last Thursday in a Peachtree Corners office park on Da Vinci Court.

Unlike the "Peachtree Corners Yes Town Hall Meeting" held in August which drew some 550 people, the "Vote No" meeting was attended by nine people, two of which were in favor of cityhood and one who admitted being "on the fence" over the issue of incorporation.

The group does not agree that the community will be better off as a city, and that the three services the new city would provide, planning & zoning, code enforcement and solid waste pickup, would only provide another layer of government and more taxes (up to 1 millage rate).

The group is also skeptical of the assertion by the leaders of the city initiative that as a city the cost of solid waste pickup could be negotiated to a lower rate for its citizens.

Byron Gilbert, who was leading the meeting, said, "People are happy with the garbage pickup. What if it ends up costing more? The only fact we have is the 1 mil in additional taxes."

Mike Fallaize, who lives in the River Valley subdivision, said he's still undecided. "We need to be sold on the idea. I haven't seen enough proof it's going to benefit us."

Fallaize, who has lived in Peachtree Corners for the past 26 years, declined to take a "Vote No" sign for his yard but said "You don't know how good you've got it until it changes, it's unknown."