Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

The Gazebo

Every time I drive past Bushman Square there are at least a couple hundred Townshippers in the Gazebo.

Not just yet

I believe if you all look at the City's web site you will find that they have posted their Capital Improvements Plan for 2006-2011. In that CIP there is an unfunded project for $15,000,000 for a Community Recreation center.

I suspect this is the Rec. Center that Weltlich is talking about.

I also know that the Mayor and the City Manager did attend a get together with other community members and the subject being discussed was the Rec. Center.

I am aware that the owners of the Power Shack and the World Gym are concerned about the market here locally in weight lifting and other fitness related businesses. At least Weltlich was paying attention there.

I understand that Weltlich stated during the meeting his regular threat that if the city didn't capitulate on the JEDD agreement for the 3.3 acre tract of land on Wright road then the Township would be at ''war'' with the city for a long time and refuse any level of cooperation in the future. I also understand that the Mayor and the City Manager sat silent during and after the Weltlich outburst.

My source also tells me that the Mayor did make some financial commitments to a ''PRIVATELY'' funded Rec Center project.

I believe the Rec Center in question is the one proposed by the Methodist Church group. They are backed up by Ohio Health and I understand that their volunteer group is growing. Clearly this group would operate under a non-profit organization and in some ways they would be competing directing with the Power Shack and the World Gym. I am not sure that the voters would support using tax payer dollars to help fund a private group that would compete against and maybe put a tax paying business out of business. That part I do agree with Weltlich on.

So the question is did the Church Lady put the clamp on the Township for financial support as well as the City? Since Weltlich is talking about it at trustee meetings I suspect they have.

What would be even more disturbing is that the Mayor is proposing a City owned Rec Center to now compete with the Church group Rec. Center and the private tax paying businesses. I think the Times-Sun reporter needs to clarify which Rec. Center they were talking about.

Since this is an unfunded project I believe the Mayor must get this past the council before he spends any taxpayer money. The Mayor has a tendency to go off on his own and propose things and state things that are his opinion and they are taken as city policy or projects. I am sure this project will need a full hearing before the entire council before any dirt is moved.

At this moment I believe the Mayor does not have the full support of council on many projects (especially ones like the proposed project above). I am just as sure that his alliance with Heidi Riggs and Jeff Fix they will attempt to overthrow the current leadership of council next year. I understand that Heidi is already recruiting candidates.

I seemed to recall that someone told me that the City has limits on what they can borrow. I believe this $15 Million is over their limit. So in many ways the council if they supported this project they would need to go to the voters with either a income tax increase or a bond levy of I believe around 2 mills. Considering that the school bond levy went down this week I doubt the voters would support a couple of mills for a Rec. Center.


I guess we all must wait and see.

Candidates

So who are these candidates that Heidi is recruiting? While I doubt that she would even consider O'Brien, what about Wright or Kramer? If she really is a loose cannon why not support Wright and get him in her corner? I've heard that Kramer has burned too many bridges at City Hall with his remarks against the Mayor and current council members.

Pedro

I hope she is recruiting Pedro!

By Napolean Dynamite