Our editorial page is designed to spark public debate on issues facing our community. Any comments we make, for or against an issue facing our community, is just our opinion and no more. We extend you the invitation to respond on this same page, without comment from us.

 Each issue that we address is handled on its own merit. We do not hold grudges.

 The reason we say all this is because we took Mayor Carter to task directly above this, but now we will praise her actions.

 At the council meeting Monday, the council debated the merits of having a private school locate a campus in the city.

 To us, this should have been a no-brainer decision by council. Instead it turned into a 3-3 vote, a vote that was broken by Mayor Carter in favor of the school having its campus here.

 Peachtree Academy is a respected private, Christian school located in Conyers.

 It is proposing to open a campus in Covington that will bring around 100 jobs to our community after build out. This is exactly the clean industry that the Chamber of Commerce is always striving to attract to our city. The only issue that could present a problem if the school grows is traffic. Traffic is a problem that can be mitigated. Having 100-plus jobs thrown into your lap for doing nothing cannot be mitigated.

 We don’t understand the hard line that the Planning Commission has taken with the officials of Peachtree. It needs to stop.

 We find it harder to believe that a council facing shortfalls on taxes and the loss of homes and business in our community can take such a negative stance on building a school in our community.

 Mayor Carter made the wise vote; we thank her for that vision.