Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Agree to disagree

Well, I can?’t say that we will agree on this issue but then, given the complexity of a paper township proposal, I am sure you will never get everyone to agree on everything. Again, not being a math whiz, I would have to look at things from the Township?’s point of view as I am sure you will throughout this process.

Since I don?’t have the same information to look at as you do, let?’s make an assumption based on generic round numbers. Let?’s say the taxpayers of Pickerington pay $1M per year for fire service. What makes you think you can negotiate a contract with them for that amount or less? Why should they come up with a realistic figure? What is their motivation? It isn?’t to save jobs. Any negotiations could include right of first refusal to any displaced fire employee lost to reductions in staff.

If I was in their shoes and you were negotiating with me for fire service I would be sure to recoup any losses you caused me plus pain and suffering. So essentially, you face the possibility of paying as much as we are now for fire service and then where are the savings? I realize funding come from all different sources in the city but overall you have to make sure that there is a savings in the end.

Also if I was them, who would I look to perform the best for? The guys in the township or the city? Now don?’t anyone get their boxers in a bunch. I would never impugn the integrity of our fire department. I know they would always put safety first and equally but there are many non-safety issues that they could exact a troll on the city by not treating them equitably.

That is why I would explore other options with other local fire departments or plan to create your own. Don?’t make the decision this early that you absolutely will seek fire services from the township. As you say, current negotiations are going down a tunnel. Don?’t let yourself also get tunnel vision.


By Simple Guy

An Observer

As I read down these threads this morning I am getting the feeling that there may be a reasonably good idea coming out here but do to the forces in place in the Township and within City Hall that there is also a great amount of resistance to those ideas.

It seems to me that there is a large portion of the voters for the Township trustees that live and vote in the City of Pickerington and if the trustees are a part of the problem here then the question I have in this, are the trustees really serving their constituency by preventing any ideas that may help the schools and or the City taxpayers?

Are those within in the Pickerington City Hall who are so closely aligned with these same trustees serving their constituency?

I heard that Gary Weltlich told Mayor Shaver at the Council meeting the other night that he was a good Mayor. Clearly Mr. Weltlich is pleased with his handy work in controlling ''HIS'' Mayor.

You're getting it

Very keen observations. You are heading in the right direction. Trustees own the mayor and Fix, lock, stock and barrel.

Keep in mind this one thing. The trustees DO NOT see the city residents as constituents until it is time to seek campaign donations and votes.

Interesting

Interesting first cut. However, what are the additional city costs of the paper township? There has to be administrative costs. Columbus may have created Montgomery Twn but it was never activated. If so, who are the trustees and how much are they paid, where do they meet, etc?

Second question: Let's say you save $200 per year in local taxes. But will you have the same response time and quality of service? I really don't think so unless you put a lot more money into it than you think. Are your insurance rates going to go up instead? I've seen this before in other communities. Are you really saving anything if you give up your federal leveraged, i.e., deductable, local taxes and have to send that $200 to All State instead?

By Any Mouse