Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

I am throwing the gauntlet down. I am a city voter, resident and taxpayer. I want to declare our independence from Violet Township.

Think of all the reasons the thirteen colonies declared our independence from Great Britain.

Taxation without representation stands out in my mind. The township trustees tax us but refuse to represent us. They want our resources.

What can the township provide the city that we can?’t provide ourselves? A Fire Department? We can do it ourselves. It is in our charter.

I challenge anyone to post to this thread telling me what the township provides the residents and taxpayers in the city of Pickerington that was do not or cannot provide for ourselves.

I challenge the elected officials in the city to do what is right for the city and the city only and declare our independence.


By Patriot

1776 to 2006

Nice referance to the battle for independance from Great Britian.

Does that mean Fix is Benedict Arnold?

Issues, not people


No, I didn?’t mean anything about Fix. I have never met the man and don?’t care to. To me he appears to be a slippery, slimy, good for nothing. I?’ve heard a few things about him that if only half are true, he?’s not the kind of person I could associate with.

No, my declaration is more about issues. The issue at hand is the preservation of the city. I read about how our budget gets more and more stretched each year. Important programs were cut from last year?’s budget. What will be cut this year? Can we afford to send dollars to the township that are so badly needed in the city? Water and Sewer rates are going up. A sewer plant expansion is in the offing. I have a hard time reconciling how the city can stop paving streets that need repair and then hire a development director and someone claiming to be an engineer. Is it a different color of money that allows the city to increase its biggest line item (staff) while the streets fall into further disrepair?

I heard from friends over in Stonebridge that councilman Smith is proposing an increase in the income tax to 2%. I also heard that he wants to take away the credit we get for living here and working elsewhere. So then we will have more money to give away to the township should this economic agreement get through council? If he wants to raise taxes, fine, make your case. It has to go to the voters anyway and we all know how people are coming out in droves to raise taxes. I say no, if a tax increase is approved, then we need that money to reinstate programs and take care of ourselves.

I read the information kindly provided on this website and cannot see that there are any windfalls to be realized as soon as the ink is dry on any economic agreement with the township. Rather, I see Canal Winchester making huge gains as soon as this agreement renders this city impotent. Now that the secret meetings that have taken place recently have been exposed, it is safe to assume they have been going on forever. If they are so bold and reckless to meet together in a bar, I?’ll bet that there have been a lot of meetings with good old Canal over the last few years over a few beers.

We need to stop the spiral downward this city is in. We need to stop trying to please others and look to please ourselves and assure the quality of life we expect within our own borders and forget the others.

If council is unwilling to take on the tough task of a city township, maybe the task of unincorporating might be easier. If you don?’t want to stand up and do right by your citizens, and prefer to give the city?’s power away to the trustees, give them the city along with it. Unincorporate and be done with it.


By Patriot

Time to study

It is interesting to note that for a long time that many on this web site complained about the City not posting information on the City's web site. Since 2003 and probably under a lot of pressure from the public the City has posted everything. to anyone interested. For those of you that wanted public information remember how you had to fill out the slip and it was reviewed by the City manager or whom ever only to wait a week or so before your request was granted.

Today as a result of some of the comments posted here I went to the Violet Township web site to look at their budget. Guess what NOTHING!!! For all of the do gooders that bitched for years about the city withholding information from the citizens maybe it is time we hear that same complaints about the township. The fact is that the budgets are public record and they do have a web site so what's the problem?

Are we back to the good old days of the City where this information is withheld so they can keep track of who request the information? Is there things and information that might be of concern to our citizens? Just how much does the township receive in the administrative levy from the City taxpayers? How much does Violet Township receive from Canal Pointe? Is there a detailed budget of the Fire Department? How much does the township receive from the county in the form of the local government funds?

If we are going to separate or merge we all need that information to make our on decisions. I think before Pam moves forward lets not pull another Jeff Fix and try to sell the idea with sound bites with very little data to back up the alligator mouth.

Patriot seems to have some information but does he or she have all of the facts? I do not knoe if it has been established by anyone what exactly does the township do with its tax revenues?

Before we proceed let's find out.