When the Fayette County Board of Commissioners revised ordinances related to operating golf carts in unincorporated areas, it added a requirement to register carts so they could be tracked in case of theft or other misdeeds. That process began this month, and affected residents must buy a $12 sticker every five years.
The county wanted to forego that process for the thousands of carts already registered in Peachtree City, preferring a reciprocal agreement with the city’s registration system. Peachtree City said no.
Currently, non-city residents who use their carts within the Peachtree City limits must pay $60 per year for the privilege. Peachtree City defends the fee by noting that non-city residents don’t pay property taxes that fund cart path maintenance. Non-resident golf cart fees bring in about $55,000 a year.
“At issue in the reciprocity request is that Fayette may have two miles of paths to offer Peachtree City residents (who are also Fayette County taxpayers) to use in exchange for the 90-mile network we have within the city limits,” City Clerk Betsy Tyler told me. She said the City Council of Peachtree City discussed the reciprocity question “briefly” at its Jan. 9 retreat, but “there is no majority will to move forward with a reciprocity agreement at this time.”
Peachtree City’s only reciprocal registration agreement is with the town of Tyrone, which charges $15 every three years to register carts that can be used on certain side streets and a small number of paths, some of which connect to the city.
The Fayette commission has raised the possibility of requiring Peachtree City residents to pay a county fee, figuring that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Even if city residents paid only a fraction of what the city charges county residents, multiplying that by thousands of golf carts would bring in no small amount of cash – or complaints.
There might yet be reason for all parties to work this out.
First, Peachtree City gets more than just registration revenue from non-city golf carts. If you live close enough to drive your cart into the city, chances are you’re going out to eat, buy groceries, take your kids to activities or otherwise patronizing city businesses, adding to city-based revenue. That will only increase as Peachtree City builds out to its borders in all directions.
Second, the county has already begun extending golf cart path access to the Starr’s Mill school complex, which will allow hundreds of Peachtree City students to drive their carts from the city just over the line into the county, as will parents and others attending sports, performances or meetings. More paths (and possibly tunnels) are planned along Redwine Road and across Ga. Hwy. 74 South, possibly extending to Senoia.
The dividing lines between Fayette’s various municipalities aren’t so black and white anymore; they’re becoming asphalt gray. As the network of paths used by golf carts, pedestrians and bicycles expands, so too should consideration for those paying to use them.
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