Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Pickerington Times?–Sun

Councilmen's opinions about proposed JEDD differ

By DAVID S. OWEN

Published: Monday, December 3, 2007 10:05 PM EST

Thursday, Nov. 29, Pickerington Village Council's Finance Committee discussed and scheduled a work session and public hearing for a Joint Economic Development District agreement involving the city, Violet Township, Bloom Township, Canal Winchester and Lancaster.

The JEDD agreement concerns economic development opportunities along the U.S. Route 33 corridor and if all five entities ultimately approve it they become eligible to participate in sharing the revenues generated from it.

Although some council members are in favor of supporting the proposed JEDD agreement, there are some who are skeptical.

''It's a piece of crap,'' said Councilman Ted Hackworth.

''The problem with it is the government entity that would provide the vast majority of the infrastructure, the water, the sewer, the roads, is the county, and they just became aware of this thing a couple of days ago,'' Hackworth said.

''I think working behind the backs of our county commissioners, who will ultimately have to provide the water, sewer and roads, is a big mistake,'' he said.

''Somewhere they're going to have to put this in their budget because when you do these things you don't just snap your fingers and there you've got $8 million to build a road or $6 million to expand a sewer plant,'' he said.

''If we we're serious about economic development down there we would have brought the county on board very early in this process instead of after the agreement was agreed upon.

''This thing is just a wish list, and there is nothing in this document that is going to spur economic development,'' Hackworth said.

''We don't have any kind of a plan in place on how we're going to provide the infrastructure and I will tell you right now there's nobody that's going to come in here and build any kind of development without water and sewer and roads, and if they already got it, why should they need to join the JEDD?'' he said.

Councilman Jeff Fix, who is in favor of the JEDD agreement said there is a lot of value in it and almost no risk involved in it.

''It's really going to help us grow our tax base over the long term,'' Fix said.

''And when we sit there and look at the budget and say how are we going to get out of this, well, there is no magic bullet,'' he said.

''You have to grow your tax base over time and this is certainly an opportunity to participate in a tax base that we would never get to on our own,'' he said.

''So it's a great opportunity for us over the long term, and it's nothing that's going to solve our issues next year or the year after,'' Fix said.

''But as we start to develop that area and start to see revenues flow, 10 or 20 years from now, whoever is on council then is going to see the benefits of what we're doing now,'' he said.

A council work session on the proposed JEDD agreement is scheduled for 6 p.m. Dec. 18 and residents will have an opportunity to ask questions and voice concerns during a public hearing at 7 p.m. Jan. 15 in Pickerington City Hall, 100 Lockville Road.


By Joe Taxpayer

Where's my Rec. Center?

Oh wait a minute it is after the election and Fix is now telling the people it may be 10 or maybe 20 years before we see tax revenues. Clearly the Fix doctrine of ?“its not the tactics its the result?” at work here. If Tricia Sanders is going to build her Rec. Center then the revenues she plans to pay for the center with are 20 years out? I wonder how old her kids will be by then?

By Joe Taxpayer

Band wagon moving along

Lancaster Eagle Gazette
Published editorial for December 6, 2007

JEDD important to meet need of growing area

WE urge all the governments along the U.S. 33 corridor to get together and form a Joint Economic Development District that can meet the needs for growth in the area.
If they cannot reach agreement on this basic development tool for the corridor, future growth will be dictated to citizens rather than controlled by citizens.

The proposed Joint Economic Development District, or JEDD, for the U.S. 33 corridor is an effort by communities along the corridor to coordinate economic development along the corridor.
It is agreed that we want to manage the growth. Now let's see leaders demonstrate a spirit of cooperation and form an economic district.
JEDDs are a good way to manage the growth which is inevitable, along the corridor.
The districts help prevent the communities from being pitted against each other when companies want to locate in the JEDD area.
We commend the county commissioners for questioning the proposed JEDD.
The proposal in its present form would create a 2-percent income tax in the JEDD area. A portion of the income tax revenue would be used for maintenance and infrastructure fund that would pay for improvements like roads.
The JEDD would be controlled by a board that would include representatives from the governments that participate.
The JEDD area runs from just north of Carroll to the Diley Road area and one mile on either side of U.S. 33 in that area.
The commissioners questioned whether a JEDD was needed because Fairfield County had already put in much of the sewer and water infrastructure along the corridor for potential growth.
County Commissioner Judy Shupe said JEDDs should be pursued, but that this one needs to be set up differently.
It is disappointing that it appears the county commissioners were not involved in the initial planning stages of the proposed JEDD.
All the entities along the corridor - townships, villages, cities and the county - should have been involved from the beginning. They all have a stake in the growth and managing it.
If we don't plan for the growth, it will be sporadic, haphazard and dictated by the whims of developers wanting to come to the area.
The commissioners are trying to protect taxpayers in the area and the communities are trying to get a handle on growth. They should all work together.

The JEDD is coming

JEDD draft raises doubt, concern

Thursday, December 6, 2007

RANDY NAVAROLI

ThisWeek Staff Writer
After nearly a year of planning, Fairfield County commissioners are questioning plans for a joint economic development district (JEDD) along the U.S. Route 33 corridor.

The commission is not among the entities seeking to establish the JEDD, but commissioners say they have questions that must be answered before they'll give their blessing to the agreement. Most of the concerns revolve around utility services for the designated area and the proposed income tax that accompanies the proposed deal.

The commissioners submitted a list of questions regarding the JEDD to officials in the five communities seeking to establish the economic development district.

''The commissioners did not have an opportunity to ask these questions until after they reviewed the draft proposal, which they just got hold of in the past few weeks,'' said Fairfield County Commission clerk/manager Scott Zody. ''A new draft will be prepared and reviewed again, and we hope the terms will be amended to address the commissioners' concerns.''

Commissioner Judy Shupe said that while economic development districts are a viable development tool for communities, the JEDD arrangement currently under consideration is not a good one.
The agreement among Pickerington, Canal Winchester, Lancaster, and Bloom and Violet townships would create a 2-percent income tax within the JEDD boundaries. If approved by a JEDD board that will eventually be set up, a portion of the income tax revenue would go into a maintenance and infrastructure fund earmarked for improvements.

''In this particular case, the JEDD isn't set up right,'' Shupe said. ''We already have the infrastructure as far as water and sewer, which is the most costly. It makes no sense for people to pay a 2-percent income tax.''

Fairfield County commissioners will vote on the final JEDD proposal once each community approves it. However, attorney Al Schrader, who drafted the JEDD proposal and who also represents Violet Township -- the community that led the effort to create the JEDD -- said the final plan can take effect without the commissioners' approval, as long as all legal requirements are met.
Pickerington, Canal Winchester, Lancaster, and Bloom and Violet townships are scheduling public hearings in the coming weeks to gather input about the JEDD agreement.