Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Marketing

The city needs to market this as an indoor pool for the high school swim teams or whatever else it's going to be.

What it's NOT is an aquatic center for the City of Pickerington. It's in no shape or form the pool people want to go to as a destination. It's not a cornerstone of a great rec center. It's a pool whose size the community has outgrown. Changing ownership does not solve this for the Community.

The need for an aquatic center still exists. It should be funded by the City & Township residents if they all want one.

Pay for what you use

Dear Anonymous and Disappointed

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This pool purchase is coming from the City of Pickerington which makes up one third of the school population. Why should the city bear the entire costs of lap time rentals for the school district?‘s swim teams? The second point is not all students or residents will use the pool so those that do use the pool should pay for the use.

As for the city and the township paying for this pool or an aquatic center the only way that can happen is if the City of Pickerington and Violet Township MERGE their territories into one new city. The only way currently for the township to raise money for something like this is through property taxes. The city has many other options like using impact fees. Before everyone gets on the band wagon of cooperation between the city and the township you need to know the law and the limitations of a township government. The only way they can build or help build something like this is through a property tax levy and that must be approved by the voters. So good luck with that one.

Now if you use the swimming pools then you should pay for the portion you use. If I take a lesson or use the parks and recreation facilities I pay my fee. There is nothing wrong with charging the school district to use the pools. If the schools are offended by that then they should go to the school board and put a 5 or 8 mil levy on the ballot and build the PLSD Aquatic Center and see how far that gets you. In fact I have heard from many swim teams and their parents that they would prefer using a local facility to train in if it were available.

The fact is if the schools were to build their facility the public would be bared from using it. They broke a promise to the citizens back in the early 90s with the field house at Central and now only the school teams can use that field house.

For those folks that are pro or con on this subject making postings with out your real name is fruitless and a waste of time. I fully understand that it is much easier to remain anonymous and bitch. So let?’s start a full debate here and see if some real ideas will come forward from some real people.


By Ted Hackworth