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Potentially Harmful Algae Blooms Recently De
tected in Lake Peachtree, A2
Meetings S^Events, IKS
Fayetteville Celebrates 40th National Night
Out, A8
THE TRUTH SINCE 1886
FAYETTE COUNTY (1) NEWS
f ay ett e-news, net
Vol. 151, No. 32 Wednesday, August 9, 2023 $1.
FCSO Investigates Countywide Mail Theft
Two Arrested in Connection to Fraud, Checks Stolen from Postal Drop Box
Leah Banks
Investigative Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
Fayette County Sheriff s
Office has worked through
out the summer months
with various area police pre
cincts to investigate mail
theft related to more than
“too reports (received since
January) from Fayette
County residents regarding
stolen mail,” which led to
two arrests on July 30.
A joint effort between
FCSO’s road patrol and
criminal investigators re
sulted in the arrest of Chris
topher Antonio Smith (37)
and John Rodney Turner
(30).
In June, FCSO investi
gators reportedly deter
mined that mail was stolen
from a blue postal box lo
cated at Fayetteville Post
Office. Further investigation
found the focus was to ob
tain financial instruments
and alter them for personal
deposits or trades.
Smith and Turner were
reportedly found with 211
pieces of stolen mail, includ
ing 151 personal checks with
a total value of $49,382.38.
Both individuals were
See Mail Theft, A7
Christopher Antonio Smith
John Rodney Turner
Photos by Leah Banks/Fayette News
PTC Raises Flag in Honor of Purple Heart Recipients
Leah Banks
Investigative Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
Cloudy skies on Monday,
Aug. 7 did not stop the shine
of retired armed forces and
community officials who
gathered in front of the City
Hall of Peachtree City to
honor Purple Heart recip
ients and their families.
The ceremony took place
at 9 a.m. with American Le
gion posts from throughout
Fayette County gathering to
recognize the actions of sol
diers, both living and de
ceased, who were awarded
with Purple Hearts for
wounds received in action.
The City Council of
Peachtree City is not new to
recognizing its own veterans
as Councilmen Mike King,
Frank Destadio, and Clint
Holland are veterans of their
respective branches of the
armed forces.
David Niebes, past post
commander of Fayette
County AL Post 105, located
at "The Log Cabin,” spoke
highly of the efforts made by
Peachtree City Mayor Kim
Learnard, along with city
staff, to maintain the cele
bration of service by these
men and women. That rec
ognition, according to
Niebes, goes beyond posting
street signs.
“I want to give credit to
the mayor. If you drive
around, you’ll see Purple
Heart community signs.
Some of them post the sign
and do nothing,” Niebes
said. “The fact that we did
this, and the mayor took the
leadership to see that this is
a continuous thing, is truly
special.”
The ceremony concluded
with an appreciation break
fast for those in attendance
and for members of the
community who wished to
celebrate with the recipients
and their comrades.
BOE Announces 12.3% Proposed Property
Tax Increase Over Rollback Millage Rate
The Fayette County
Board of Education an
nounced on Aug. 2 its inten
tion to adopt the
maintenance and opera
tions millage rate at 19.25
mills compared to 19.15
mills the prior year, an in
crease in the 2023 tax digest
M&O millage rate of 0.10
mill.
In addition, the bond
millage rate will be set at
0.80 mill compared to 0.85
mill the prior year, accord
ing to system officials.
The board of education
adopted the Fiscal Year
2024 general fund (M&O)
budget of $268.2 million on
See BOE Millage, A7
PTC Approves $51.4
Million Budget, Sets
Priorities for 2024
The City Council of
Peachtree City adopted the
Fiscal Year 2024 budget at
its Aug. 3 meeting, charting
a course for enhanced com
munity services that ad
dresses the evolving needs
of its residents, according to
PTC officials.
The $51.4 million
budget and capital improve
ment plan reflect the city
council’s commitment to re
sponsible financial plan
ning, aiming to provide
essential services while in
vesting in future initiatives.
The document encompasses
a diverse range of projects
and programs that reinforce
the unique quality of life
Peachtree City residents
have come to know and ex
pect.
The budget allocates re
sources to the police and
fire rescue departments,
providing them with the
necessary tools, training,
and staffing to adequately
perform their jobs.
Plus, a significant por
tion of the capital improve
ment plan has been
allocated toward vital in
frastructure upgrades and
facilities maintenance such
as adding LED lighting to
Peachtree City’s popular
athletic fields, replacing the
roof at Kedron Fieldhouse,
and several street resurfac
ing projects.
Mayor Kim Learnard ex
pressed gratitude to City
Manager Robert Curnow,
Financial Services Director
Paul Salvatore, and all city
staff involved in the budget
ing process, highlighting the
See PTC Budget, A7
Peachtree City Proposes
Property Tax Increase
The City Council of
Peachtree City announced
last week its intentions to
increase the 2023 mainte
nance and operation prop
erty taxes it will levy this
year by 12.09 percent over
the rollback millage rate.
The M&O millage rate is
not being increased. The tax
rate will remain at 6.043
mills. The city bond millage
rate will remain at 0.0 mills.
Each year, the Fayette
County Board of Tax Asses
sors is required to review
the assessed value of taxable
property in the county for
taxing purposes.
When the trend of prices
on properties that have re
cently sold in the county in
dicates there has been an in
crease in the fair market
value of any specific prop
erty, the board of tax asses
sors is required by law to
reevaluate the value of such
property and adjust the as
sessment.
When the total digest of
taxable property is pre
pared, Georgia law requires
that a rollback millage rate
be computed that will pro
duce the same total revenue
on the current year’s digest
that last year’s millage rate
produced.
The budget adopted by
the City Council of Peach
tree City requires a millage
See Property Tax, A7
Three Arrested for Early Morning Theft
Trio of Texas Men Behind Bars
After Smash & Grab Burglary
On Aug. 4, a joint effort
between Fayette County
Sheriffs Office and Peach
tree City Police Department
resulted in the arrest of
Christopher Keith Collins,
Paul E. Smith, and Fredrick
Wills - all from Houston,
Texas - for a “smash and
grab” burglary, according to
FCSO officials.
Owners of The Hair
XChange in northern Fay
ette County reported a bur
glary at 5:05 a.m. and FCSO
reportedly immediately re-
See Smash & Crab, A7
Christopher Keith Collins Paul E. Smith
Fredrick Wills
FCSO
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