The council votes Thursday on asking the legislature for a Nov. 2, 2027, vote on a 1% sales tax to cut homeowners' city property tax. Kedron pool design too.

Peachtree City is set to ask the Georgia General Assembly for a referendum on a new sales tax that would cut homeowners’ city property taxes. The City Council votes on the request at its work session at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, at City Hall, 151 Willowbend Road.

The tax is a Local Homestead Option Sales Tax, or LHOST. The draft legislation in the agenda packet for Thursday’s meeting sets the vote for Nov. 2, 2027.

The same agenda asks the council to approve the 30% design for the new Kedron pool building and to hire engineers to design a cart path bridge over State Route 54 East.

The sales tax question

The draft ballot question asks whether voters approve a homestead exemption from city property taxes. The exemption would be paid for by “a new 1 percent Local Homestead Option Sales Tax” in Peachtree City, for 10 years. If voters say yes, the act takes effect Jan. 1, 2028.

A memo from City Clerk Yasmin Julio explains why the city is acting now:

  • Fayette County is pursuing an LHOST referendum.
  • State law says a city gets a share of the money only if it is named in a local act passed by the General Assembly.
  • The legislature met in special session June 17 to consider such local acts, but this legislation was not introduced then.

The memo said the resolution “does not impose a tax, endorse a referendum, or create any financial obligation.” It keeps the city in line for the money if voters approve the tax.

Finance Director Kelly Bush explained the idea at the council’s Oct. 8 tax hearing, according to draft minutes in the same packet. The penny tax would not add revenue, she said. It would replace, dollar for dollar, the property tax that homeowners no longer pay. If it covered all of that, the extra would go to cutting taxes on non-homestead property. City Manager Justin Strickland said homeowners could see partial relief in 2028 and the full effect in 2029.

The council kept the city rate at 5.84 mills for this year. Our story on the 2026 tax hearings has the detail.

Kedron pool design

Staff recommend approving the 30% design for the Kedron Aquatic Center and moving on to finish the design. The memo from Recreation Director Harold Layton describes “a modern, year-round aquatic facility” to replace the aging building.

The floor plan in the packet matches the one the Recreation Advisory Group saw Oct. 19:

  • a competition pool of about 4,800 square feet
  • an instructional pool of about 2,565 square feet
  • spectator seating
  • a new pool check-in off the Kedron Fieldhouse lobby
  • a splash pad and sun deck of about 1,000 square feet, listed as an optional extra

Our Kedron pool story has the planned closure and the cost history.

A cart path bridge over SR 54 East

The council is asked to approve a $234,500 contract with Moffatt & Nichol, the firm it picked Aug. 6 to design the Highway 54 East bridge. The firm’s proposal covers a new multi-use path bridge over State Route 54, with ramps and connecting paths. The work centers on the Walt Banks Road, Carriage Lane and Robinson Road intersections.

The fixed fee includes:

  • survey work
  • a Phase I environmental assessment
  • the layout of the bridge, paths, ramps and signals
  • memos on HAWK pedestrian signals at two path crossings

The money comes from the 2023 SPLOST, the memo from CIP Manager Mike Madison said. The concept plans go to the council and the Transportation Advisory Group for comment before more design work.

Airport asks to skip sprinkler rule for new hangars

The Peachtree City Airport Authority is appealing a decision by the fire marshal and the fire chief. It wants rows of new hangars in “Area D” at Atlanta Regional Airport-Falcon Field to be judged under NFPA 409, a national standard for aircraft hangars.

The city’s code requires sprinklers in new commercial buildings of 5,000 square feet or more. It also requires fire-rated walls between units. The authority’s Oct. 26 letter said it is not seeking “a blanket exemption” and that the appeal covers this project only. Staff made no recommendation.

The rest of the agenda

  • Police buildings: 19 contractors went to the required pre-proposal meeting, and 11 sent proposals by the Oct. 15 deadline to manage construction of the police renovation, training center and emergency operations center. Police Chief Janet Moon’s memo said staff will bring a recommendation “at an upcoming Council meeting.” No vote is due Thursday.
  • MacDuff Parkway rezoning: staff ask the council to start rezoning an empty, triangular tract on MacDuff Parkway. It lies between the CSX railroad and the Cresswind neighborhood. The legislature moved it from Tyrone, about six miles north, into Peachtree City in February 2023. It is zoned agricultural reserve. Staff suggest R-43, which means lots of one acre or more.
  • Greenbelt on Archway Lane: the city attorney recommends deeding small slices of city greenbelt in The Gates neighborhood to five homes where pools and other structures were built on it. His memo said no owner, past or present, caused the encroachment.
  • Comprehensive plan: the city received six proposals to help write its 2027 comprehensive plan. Staff plan to recommend a consultant Nov. 19 and want the council to pick a steering committee that could first meet in December.
  • Also: a third-quarter report, a draft “Competitive Performance Plan” for city staff, an update from the city’s retail recruitment firm, Retail Strategies, and minutes of the Oct. 8 meetings. A side-setback variance on Golfview Drive was withdrawn by the applicant.

What it means for you

  • The LHOST vote Thursday only asks the legislature to act. You would decide on the tax yourself, at the polls on Nov. 2, 2027, if the General Assembly passes the local act.
  • Kedron pool users should watch for the closure date. Staff have said the pools close in March.
  • Path users near Walt Banks Road and Robinson Road: the bridge is at an early design stage, and the plans come back for comment. Current path closures are on our road construction page.
  • The meeting is open to the public and has a public comment slot near the start. The agenda can change up to 24 hours before. Our who to call at City Hall page lists council contacts.