Many of us are deeply concerned about the direction Peachtree City has taken under Mayor Kim Learnard’s leadership over the past four years. Once a model for successful planned communities nationwide, our city’s foundational vision has been increasingly sidelined.

Alarm bells first rang when the prior city council, under Mayor Vanessa Fleisch, began abandoning the land plans and proposed using taxpayer dollars to sue citizens who criticized the council—an affront to free speech. The current council, led by Mayor Kim Learnard, continued that troubling trend by significantly restricting public comment and agenda items during official meetings.

Even more disturbing was Mayor Learnard’s decision to restrict her fellow council members from placing key citizen-focused items on meeting agendas. At the same time, bloated budgets and rising taxation have strained residents’ confidence in her fiscal stewardship.

Mayor Learnard is now on her fourth city manager in as many years. She’s also hired her second planning director—this new one specializing in “urban planning,” signaling a continued push toward denser, multi-family development. Mayor Learnard’s changes to the comprehensive plan in 2022 opened the door for high-density multi-family housing projects citywide, including one she greenlit for a campaign contributor, without disclosure or recusal.

This shift aligns with the developer-friendly ally, the Plan for PTC political action committee, which has championed more aggressive residential density and urbanization. Fortunately, voters have consistently rejected every council candidate backed by Mayor Learnard, and she has been unable to this point to carry a solid three-member majority to proceed.

Discussions about the need for leadership change have circulated for the last couple of years. It became clear we needed someone who respects residents’ voices and can restore accountable, transparent governance.

That’s why I personally asked former mayor Steve Brown to come out of retirement and run again. Known for his unwavering dedication to responsible budgeting, I pledged to support him in any way I can in reclaiming Peachtree City’s reputation for excellence.

Steve Brown has long stood up for the average citizen. His previous mayoral tenure was the high point for public engagement and the protection of free speech in city forums. As both an elected official and private citizen, Steve fought corruption—including the removal of the previous city attorney and the city’s Development Authority over his indictment of unethical dealings—and exposed the real estate scheme behind the harmful TDK extension project.

No other local leader in Fayette County has secured as much regional and state funding for transportation improvements. From widening Highway 54 West and 74 South to spearheading the I-85/74 interchange project in Fulton County, Steve’s track record speaks for itself. He also secured state and regional funds for several cart path bridges and tunnels along our state highways—transformational wins for our city.

Steve’s commitment to preserving Peachtree City’s vision extends beyond infrastructure. He received statewide recognition for his economic development efforts, and he was a vocal opponent when city councils rezoned prime land for revenue-positive corporate headquarters into revenue-negative residential zoning, thereby weakening our tax base. His leadership in his former political newspaper column helped defeat the LCI plan that would have crowded our city with thousands of multi-family housing units, generating overwhelming public resistance.

I am bowing out as Steve agreed to run for mayor after candidate James Clifton entered the city council race, together completing a strong three-member majority committed to restoring responsible land planning, efficient budgeting, and resisting urban-style overdevelopment.

Steve’s experience and results-oriented leadership are unmatched. As both mayor and chairman of the Fayette County Board of Commissioners, he took over during tough economic times and brought each government to complete fiscal control, earning two AAA bond ratings—making him the only local elected official in Georgia to achieve that distinction.

Steve Brown and James Clifton are ready to restore the family-focused city we know and love. I give them my full endorsement. I hope you will do the same. No candidate, including the current mayor, comes close to matching Steve Brown’s accomplishments in every facet of local government. He is citizen-focused and community-oriented with a record to prove it.

Eric Imker
Peachtree City