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Then Merger MAYBE?
The third option is similar to what Mr. Fix is proposing. A friend I know on P & Z told me that the city had a little over 300 acres within the current city boundaries that might be developed into commercial someday. Probably small office complexes or retail. In comparing Mr. Wisniewski?’s and Mr. Fix?’s presentations I have grave concerns about Mr. Fix?’s honesty and his integrity on these issues. By his own words he favors the Township position. That means as a city taxpayers he has little or no regard for the taxes I currently or will pay in the future. He claims huge commercial development down along US 33 but I fail to see that in the very reports that have been posted here on this web site and others. When given the option of forming a paper township versus giving up those rights in exchange for a JEDD sometime in the future I will pick the paper township. As a city taxpayer the city residents will have complete control over their destiny and they control their own taxes and expenses in the future. These proposals for a JEDD on some yet to be named parcel of land along US 33 and sometime in the future gives control over to the land owners and whether they want to put their property into a JEDD. It also gives surrounding Municipalities, who WE WILL NO POWER to stop them from annexing into OUR GUARENTEED JEDD areas. Mr. Fix in own statement says that he didn?’t expect any returns from these JEDD?’s until the second ten year period of this agreement. If our city?’s financials are in crisis like he says why is he working on tax revenues ten or twenty years out when we have problems at hand?
I also favor options one and two above because both would require voter support and that alone takes these important decisions out of the hands of a few individuals that probably have something to gain by their proposals. If the city voters were to form there own fire department and a paper township that would NOT prevent the community from merging in the future. So in my opinion what would be good for the city is to do the paper township and the tax reform and then talk about merger. If the merger talks go no where then look for guidance from Groveport in forming a city school district.
Pam, this proposed agreement is based on the false assumptions that you related to in your first posting. The city will survive with or without the township. I ran into a friend at church last night and she was at the City council meeting and I can?’t tell you when. However she was there with her teenage son and she was applaud at Mr. Fix?’s behavior in front of children especially her teenage son. She said her 15 year old was more mature that Mr. Fix. She also is very firm that she will not be bullied by the ?“I think you will agree with me?” crap coming from Mr. Fix. All said in a church from a person taught to turn the other cheek.
Pam, we all know that there is vacant land in the township. That land is the township?’s bargaining chip. Three or four hundred acres down along US 33 of light industrial development will not offset the hundreds of acres zoned in the township for single family homes. I think you need to know when to ?“fold em?”.
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Enough of you Pam
You councilman friend Fix has not provided one shred of empirical proof that there is any financial benefit to entering onto this agreement. All he is doing by getting this passed is to solidify his nomination as ?“Used Car Salesman of the Millennium?” and obviously set a platform for higher political aspirations. He will have succeeded in selling 13,000 people something they absolutely don?’t need. Unless he can prove there is a development deal waiting in the wings with a specified expected return for the city, he is selling us smoke, plain and simple. You can see it but you certainly cannot grab it.
Get off your high horse Pam. This has absolutely nothing to do with you as a township resident. With all due respect, please mind your own business. Stop the merger talk. It won?’t happen in your lifetime or mine simply because you don?’t have single elected representative who supports it. If they did, I am sure they would have talked merger long before this agreement.
I think the budget woes stated by Fix are overstated. Many, many cities in Ohio are facing the same issues and are still surviving. Yes, we?’re a few cops short but name the last time we weren?’t. Name me a single Police Chief in the country who says he has enough cops on his force; a Fire Chief who doesn?’t think he heeds more firefighters. Come on, name one. What about this recreation center Fix promises with the gains from this agreement? You know how much one costs Pam? Well, I think it is in the unfunded part of the capital improvements plan and I think it is for $18,000,000. Look at all those zeros Pam. How long do you think it will take to raise that much money while still spending profits on all the other things he is promising? I?’ll be dead, you?’ll be dead and our grandchildren will be in senior centers, and that is being optimistic. This whole rec center talk is one of Shaver?’s ploys to tell people what they want to hear to get votes. Quite honestly, the residents of the city won?’t vote for taxes to pay for the damned thing because too many of them are sick of paying taxes for things you township residents get to use for free.
So add to your list of options the city has is to form a city township. That is the option I support and that is why I will carry a petition for an initiative to form a city township. To heck with all the township leeches wanting to bleed us dry. You all say how we need to unite and be one community. Well, guess what? The almighty school board divided this community permanently a few years ago. We don?’t have to worry about leaving your township being an excuse to divide the community. It is already done. We, as city residents will take the hand we were dealt and play it. We?’ve done well so far and I expect we will continue to do well.
Let me close this with what I used to open it. Jeff ?“We?’re Dealing?” Fix is trying to put us in a car with a 30 year lease. We are being told, in his own words, we can?’t expect to drive it for 12 ?– 18 years. We still have to pay insurance and maintenance but we just don?’t get to drive it. What a deal!
Pam, please refocus your abounding energy into solving issues in the township and leave us alone. We are not one community. We are North and Central and I am proud to be in Central. You have a good day up at North.
By Mack
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Yosemite Pam, is it really you?
Yosemite Pam,
Good morning. I am writing this to express my disappointment in the turn your postings have taken. At an earlier point I thought we were in agreement on many issues. As you know I post mainly on school matters. I do follow city issues but with less interest. I have lived here long enough to realize and remember that this council is not much different that past councils and these elected officials aren?’t all that different from elected officials of the past. Different faces and names but always the same games. Once taking that seat behind the council table, they get these big heads and suddenly become so much smarter than they were the day before. And, of course, they get so much smarter then us.
At one point in earlier school postings I thought I had figured out who you were and if you were the person I thought you were I had the utmost respect for you and your insight and efforts in the past. Now, I am not so sure. If you are who I thought you are, then I have to wonder two things. First, what happened to change you? Did you accept Fix?’s invitation to coffee so he could win you over? Second, why are you getting so wrapped up in city issues? Can?’t we go back to debating school issues for which I thought you had the knowledge and experience to offer informed opinions?
Another option I have to consider in light of the change of direction you have taken is that, quite simply, Jeff Fix or a clone has begun posting under your pseudonym. I guess I could type in Yosemite Pam in the name field as easily as you do and conversely, anyone could type in Central Dad.
I am in total disagreement with this economic agreement and a merger with the township. As an earlier poster presented, the community is already divided by a school board that played the most emotional card in their hand ?– our children. There is no chance of unification after that. The hurt runs too deep.
Pam, I am no expert on city and township matters but consider this little bit I have discerned. If the city is blocked from annexations while Canal isn?’t, what will stop Canal from annexing the whole southern half of the township and building expressly residential? I think the city is locked at something like 2 houses per acre and the township is only slightly higher. Canal has no such restrictions. Zero lot lines are the norm there. Canal, who always seems to be in bed with, or get a better deal with the township could effectively annex, build out the area at up to 6 houses per acre and send all those kids into the PLSD. Have you even considered this? If not, please do. Expand the scope of your analysis beyond the end of your nose and beyond the Jeff Fix rhetoric.
Consider this and then tell me again why I should listen to anything you or Fix or the trustees have to say. These decisions have to be citizen-driven. I only hope that the group leading the charge aren?’t so shortsighted that they only run a referendum to overturn the agreement but concurrently run an initiative to form a paper township. Unless both are presented to me, I will not sign and will encourage my neighbors to not sign without both efforts. A referendum-only effort only postpones what Fix and company will do while in office.
By Central Dad
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Helping the Schools
Pam, You seem to be leaning toward Mr. Fix?’s proposal, I guess because it is the same position that the trustees have.
In one of your posting you also said something about a Hospital and other light industrial projects that would be good for WHOM?
I just read in the paper that the Southwestern School district is in trouble and they must either increase their school income taxes by 1% or the property taxes by up to 9.9 mils. A few years ago the Southwestern Schools were flush in revenues and they gave credit to the huge industrial park along Gantz Road and I think they called it South Park. Most of the property in this industrial park has now come off of the 7 year tax abatements and the schools are collecting the property taxes and no kids.
If I am a City resident you should know that around 77% of my property taxes go to support the school system So if I have a 200,000 house then I pay approximately $2570 in property taxes to the schools. If I make $85,000 per year in a salary then I also pay probably $800 per year in income taxes to the school. So what you are proposing for all of us to do is to take our city tax dollars and support an industrial park in southern Violet Township.
The first way for taxes to be lowered is for additional property taxes being paid to the schools. First the inside milage for any industrial property development will probably be tax abated. Canal Point does a 100% fifteen year tax abatement. So that abatement gives the PLSD ZERO for the first fifteen years. Second; all of the outside milage then would not lower the total community assessed value if it would be abated, so our property taxes would not be lowered because of a lower effective millage. However when abatements are used employee payroll income taxes must be shared with the schools. So the point is that for an industrial park to help the schools it would require a project large enough to generate at least one million in payroll taxes to provide any additional revenues to the schools.
You said that residential developments are money losers to the schools. The fact is that high end condos units have been proven to provide a positive cash flow to the schools. First there are only on average one school age child per 14 units in our school district. If a single condo has a value of $175,000 then the total property value coming from that development for EACH student is $2,450.000. Second is that the income of those residents living in those condos are taxed by the local school district. If the average salary of those living in an upscale condo development is $70,000 per unit then the schools will collect 1 % of $980,000 and this tax starts the day the owner moves in. The schools also collect a 4.5 mill inside levy on this property and that amounts to around $38,000 per year. Obviously the total assessed value will tend to lower the effective millage in the district.
So if the city mixes its future residential development between upscale Condos and higher value single family homes could you concede that this type of future development would tend to increase the student to assessed value ratios in our school district? Are you doing this in the township if not why?
By Bill
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