Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Please note the new addition to the Our PDFs area to the left. It is from this week's SE Messenger and is a telling tale of what others think of the situation here in Pickerington.

Citizens speak out (SE Messenger

Proposed economic development agreement is political extortion



People first must read the proposed Pickerington/Violet Township economic development agreement to see how one sided it really is.

First the city, as this agreement is now written, cannot annex any land along its borders without agreeing to either pay a fee or split the tax dollars with the township. The city will still need to provide the property with services at a cost to the Pickerington taxpayer while the township, who basically provides nothing and has no investment, will collect 50 percent of what is collected in taxes.

An example of this is the 3.3 acres along Wright Road that is a part of the JEDD. This land is surrounded on all sides by residential homes that are in the city of Pickerington. Violet Township, with no concerns voiced by the Pickerington residents, decided to change the zoning of this land from residential to commercial for the purpose of developing an office complex. The township has no police force or manpower to properly enforce codes or ordinances to protect the residents that will reside on all three sides of this office use. The city could annex this property and by doing so can provide all of the services needed that will ensure that the Pickerington residents homes are protected by police patrols that the city provides. The city would also have the ability to enforce codes and ordinances and while providing these services would be entitled to receive 100 percent of all fees and taxes that would be collected.

This property is more a part of the city than the township as it is surrounded on all sides by the city. The township?’s decision to change the zoning created the situation for the Pickerington residents and the need to annex this property. Why does the township deserve to be paid a fee?

Second point, Canal Winchester is not restricted or held back from annexing property along the borders, but Pickerington will need to pay to do so. How is this fair to Pickerington? Is Canal Winchester or any other community willing to accept these same terms so it is fair to all?

A JEDD is a good idea if it pertains to areas that it would be to costly or difficult to annex. At that point Pickerington should work corporately with the township to develop this land to the benefit of both governing bodies, but to give up a city?’s rights to annex or paying fees for doing so would be like telling a business that they are no longer permitted to expand.

My opinion is that this agreement is more an attempt at political extortion then economic the growth agreement it should be.

Bruce R. Engelhardt

Pickerington