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Don't forget
I believe that if you do your homework, Gary, Jefferendum or whomever you are from the township supporters, you will see that the city already ''owns'' 40% or more of the current assets of the VFD. Bought and paid for.
So when we secede, the courts will apportion 40% of the assets to us. Since obviously you cannot divide a building or a piece of equipment, of the total square footsge, market price or whatever value is placed on the three existing buildings, the city would get 40% so we would end up with one building and the sufficuent equipment to get started.
Hey, no one said it would be easy. Many, however, say it is necessary.
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Questions Remain
Don't know if you've got your facts straight, but the question remains:
The city will need two fire stations to provide the same level of service as city residents now receive. How can the cost of two fire stations, spread among city taxpayers, be less than the cost of two fire stations, spread over a tax base that is twice as large?
One more question: since cities are empowered to operate fire departments, why the need for a ''paper township''?
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Here's HOW!!
If you pay close attention to what has been said you will find that the statement below is correct.
''Please tell me how the city's creation of its own fire department will lower the cost of fire protection for city residents?''
Just as a primer for you that apparently have had the brain washing from the trustees who pays the taxes in the City? Granted those that live here and those that work here or operate a business here. So if the city is given tax credits to those that live here and work someplace else then they could benefit if a big portion of their yearly tax in property taxes were shifted over to income taxes. So if the Kohl's store is currently paying $100,000 per year in income taxes (both individual and corporation income) and the city were to double the rate to 2 % then all of a sudden the city now receives $200,000 per year from someplace like Kohl's.
The point is the even if the individuals living in Pickerington actually paid more in income taxes it would be offset by the savings in property taxes rollbacks. So in effect it would save the ''RESIDENTS'' of the city tax money for fire service because someone outside the city limits will be paying for a larger part of that fire service. Since the township is limited to only collecting property taxes then they are faced with the same issue facing Clinton Twp and Mifflin Twp in Franklin county.
I believe a poster above addressed the issue of splitting the fire department assets. This is a mis-conception being perpetrated by the trustees to scare the city residents into thinking they would have to start over if they created their own fire department. I think if you honestly look at the assets and how they are currently separated then you will find that the city would make out just fine in the split. Yes I believe a small station north of the rail line would be appropriate to provide at least EMS service to the commercial corridor on 256.
So that you know. I read in the Times Sun that Pickerington is expecting to collect $4.1 Million this coming year in income taxes. Since the fire department has a $7.2 Million budget and only $6.2 Million in revenues I would say that 40% of $7.2 Million is $2.84 Million and that would leave over a million in reserve. The City might find that they can cut costs because they will no longer be responsible for an industrial park that pays noting for fire service.
You should know that under the Ohio revised code they give direction to the city and the township on who they lay off and who gets first dibs on a job at the new city fire department. They city would need to hire a Chief and a few officers if there is not enough experience in the junior ranks of the Violet Fire Department.
The plan also calls for the new township to be called Pickerington Township.
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Not so
You cannot calculate what it would cost the city for fire protection by dividing the township's budget in half.
The township will still need two fire stations, and so will the city. So the city's fire budget actually would equal or exceed the township's current fire budget. Indeed, if you figure in the cost of building and equipping two new fire stations, the city's cost could greatly exceed the township's current budget.
Doubling the city's income tax rate would not help. The city would just be picking a different pocket in the same pants.
So there is no tax bonanza for city residents in secession from the city. Please tell me what else would be in it for them. And, by the way, could you also tell me which section of the Ohio Revised Code authorizes all of this stuff?
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