Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Dear Yosemite Pam,

I assume you have had time to reflect since your October 9th posting. You seem to be the studious type and given the information that has been posted to the Our PDF section of this site and the numerous media articles, I wonder if your thoughts have changed any.

We have learned that the old city/township divisions did not resurface. To resurface, they had to have been below the surface and apparently they have always been right on the surface. Maybe you misinterpreted that the divisions were below the surface on the city?’s part but certainly you now realize they were always on or above the surface on the township?’s part. I think you had a council from 03 to 05 who really didn?’t have a problem with the township, save three people. Those three had experience in attempting to deal with the township from around 99 through 03. We now see that they ended up in the same situation this council is in. While we in the city did not agree with the council and their actions during that time period, we now clearly see that the township has an agenda and they were simply waiting until they got the right people on council they could control and guide through the recent process that may ultimately result in ceding tremendous self-determining powers of the city over to the township.

You talked about being and acting like one community. I submit to you that this cannot ever happen until all elected officials come to an understanding that agreements must be fair and balanced in investments and returns. Additionally you have probably learned that any attempt to reach an agreement must be preceded by a commitment to research and analysis conducted by third party entities that have no vested interests in the outcome. A precedent for such an agreement must be a documented cost-benefit analysis that both governments adopt into law. The city spent the time of 03-05 dedicating itself to that. They adopted the growth management study, impact fees and others. They absolutely DID NOT simply point to a novice councilman with no appreciable reputation or proven negotiation skills and tell them to go do it. That was unforgivably irresponsible and negligent on the Mayor?’s part and irresponsible on the councilman?’s part to not, at some time, bring other councilmen and professional staff people into the negotiations. This irresponsibility has resulted in the worthless document now being debated in the city.

You endorse one government for the community. I did agree with you at one point in time and if you are who I think you are by the statements you make here, we talked about it in person in the past and I told you I agreed with you. I no longer agree. While I wouldn?’t hold this debacle that has become of the economic agreement against anyone if it was the first time it happened, this has clearly happened in the past under a different administration with the same net result. Given that I am now seeing things through different eyes, or maybe my eyes are just opened a little wider, I am of the opinion that the best course of action for this city is to create their own township and let Violet Township go on with their merry little lives. This is absolutely nothing against the fine people of Violet Township, only their ineffective form of government and their ineffective elected officials.

more.....

Message to Pam, continued


I have talked to a couple of elected officials about city townships. I was sure to talk to those who supported the idea and those against it. I wanted to remain as objective as possible. I read the data gathered to-date from the supporters and saw no data from the non-supporters. Sound familiar? The initial data was compelling. City residents actually seem to be able to make gains in such an arrangement without loss. Sound familiar? Sound like the shoe is on the other foot? Through the current economic agreement the township has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Creating a city township, the city residents have nothing to lose and everything to gain. So the question becomes, in whose best interests are the city elected officials and the professional staff required to act?

Once the city township is created, then perhaps the voters will once again have the opportunity to elect officials to represent THEM. Elect officials to act in the CITY?’S best interest and not others?’.

So Pam, again I ask, have your thoughts changed any?

There is one other body involved in whether you support a merger, a city township or an economic agreement and that is the schools. Pam, I think little to no consideration was given to the schools in any step of this process. I'll save that thought to discuss with you if you choose to entertain it or reply to this posting at all.

With Respect,
Another Anonymous Poster

Information Needed

Please explain the difference between a City Township and a City.

The difference is....

Pickerington is in Violet Township. That doesn't mean it has to be. Pickerington can form a township called....say....Pickering Township that encompasses the area within its borders. We effectively secede from Violet Township and take our tax dollars with us.