Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

?“Mrs. Shupe; when times get tough she slashes budgets, only to find out that she had more money than she thought she did, OOPS!, ?“We can hire them back?”, she says.?”

Jeff Fix February 28, 2008 On the Gary Weltlich campaign letter signed by Fix, Sauer, Sanders, Keith Smith and Sabatino


?“Mr. Fix stated that Council had been discussing zero based budgeting and wanted to get input from Mr. Hansley. He stated that he didn't feel comfortable in his understanding on the budget and what alternatives were available.?”

Jeff Fix March 19th 2008

?“What you won?’t see in this budget is six more police officers. We are able to fund one additional officer this year but Chief Taylor will tell you as he told us in a budget hearing that the appropriate number for a city our size is approximately six more than we have. We don?‘t have the money so we just run short. Our police force is outstanding. They do a great job and are provided great leadership. Shouldn?’t we provide them with the manpower they need to keep our street safe? We don?’t have the money.

Without belaboring the point this budget will show that the city currently carries $27 million dollars in debt and in 2007 plans to pay down that debt by only 6% - paying no principal on several of those laons, leaving us with nearly $25 and half million dollars in debt at the end of the year. 39% of the payments we make this year will be in interest. That?’s too high but we don?’t have the money to pay down the principal.

The common theme in all of this is that we don?’t have the money to do what we as a city need to do. We can?’t pave our roads, we guess about location of our pipes, we can?’t build a pool much less a community center, we?’re short on police officers and we can?’t pay down our debt. No one is at fault, these are just the facts, and these FACTS SCARE THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF ME.?”

Jeff Fix December 5th 2006

?“Mrs. Sanders stated it appears that Pickerington?’s tax is relatively low compared to the surrounding areas.?”

Tricia Sanders March 19, 2008

?“Mr. Smith stated the challenge to our budget now is because of the economic slump, and that will not last forever.?”

Keith Smith March 19th, 2008

?“Mr. Smith stated revenues are depressed because of the slump, and his personal feeling is that the police levy is a replacement so it is back up to 5.5 percent, which, on top of the reevaluation that was just done, would have a huge impact.?”

Keith Smith March 19th, 2008


?“Mrs. Hammond stated considering how much of the General Fund goes to the Police, she was not sure that raising that levy would make that big a difference.?”

Cristie Hammond March 19th 2008

?“Mrs. Sanders stated if she understood it, everyone thought that in November we would have to go on the ballot for something, and Mr. Smith stated that was what he thought.?”


Tricia Sanders March 19th 2008

?“Mrs. Sanders stated it was a double-edged sword, especially for the seniors. She stated they don?’t have extra money, but we don?’t want to cut some of the programs that we have.?”

Tricia Sanders March 19th 2008

?“Mr. Sauer stated that he wasn't looking for details but it would be nice to see any trends that are increasing.?”


Brian Sauer March 19th 2008

By Waiting to kiss my money good by

Police or taxes??

?“Mr. Hackworth further asserts that if we don?’t raise taxes this November ?“we will kiss our police department good by.?” I can?’t begin to imagine where this comes from but it?’s just plain STUPID. This has not even been discussed.?”

Jeff Fix March 11th 2008 on PATA

?“We understand that the citizens have a desire to ''preserve your rights.'' As a group we are committed to not give up the rights to annex land or conform the boundaries except in the case of significant economic development on lands that we do not have the ability to annex anyway. Preserving your rights is important. Securing the economic future of our community is also important. We believe that both will be accomplished if you vote to defeat Issue 9.?”

Jeff Fix May 0f 2007 also signed by Mayor Shaver, Heidi Riggs and Keith Smith. They also wanted to send this information out to the voters using the City Hall staff and taxpayer postage. This was considered educational.

?“This is the opportunity? to? develop a strong? economic base that can generate revenue for city services and the schools without increasing the tax burden and cost of services on local homeowners and city residents.?”

Brian Sauer October 2007 in his campaign literature

?“Oppose any effort to increase the income tax in the City of Pickerington?”

Brian Sauer October 2007 in his campaign literature

Clearly Fix is uncomfortable about the costs in the budget. Sauer?’s doesn?’t want details and Smith wants to raise the property taxes on the home owners. While Sauer wants to go out and develop in the township to save us all. Now they are seeing that they must address the city?’s budget and they claim they won?’t raise income taxes. If they don?’t raise our taxes then how do they pay for the Police department? Fix claims it is ?“STUPID?” to think that we will lose our police department. Who is the stupid one here?

I would suggest that we start to pay attention to what our elected leaders are saying now and what they promised us last November.


XOXOXOXOX to our money

By Waiting to kiss my money good by

Don't forget Joint Parks Board

JOINT PARK DISTRICT DISCUSSION. Mr. Carr met with John Pysarchuk, Commissioner of the Pickerington Youth Athletic Association (PYAA). PYAA has expressed interest in a Joint Park District (JPD). PYAA is a private, volunteer, non-profit organization that sponsors many of the sports available to the youth of Pickerington and the Pickerington Local School District (PLSD). A local developer has offered 100 acres to PYAA and Pickerington Area Soccer Association (PASA) who need about half of the acreage leaving the rest available for a possible Park facility. At this time Councilperson Sanders discussed meeting with the superintendent of PLSD to discuss the formation of a JPD. Mr. Carr stated that the PLSD has a LARGER TAX BASE than Violet Township and would be a natural partner for the JPD.

Tricia Sanders February 25th 2008 at Parks and Rec. Meeting

Not sure exactly what that means but the whole reason I have embarked down the economic development path is to cure the city?’s financial issues WITHOUT RAISING TAXES! Ted?’ answer, as he admits, is to raise your income taxes. My answer, as it has been since day one, is to find alternative sources of revenue.

Jeff Fix March 11th 2008 PATA

Mr. Fix claims he is wanting to find alternate ways to increase the city's revenues. I think the city has embarked on the impact fees which didn't cost the existing tax payers only the new taxpayers and charged those new residents for their part of the cost of growth.

Now as her campaign manager Jeff Fix is supporting and writing the campaign for Tricia Sanders who is busy pursuing the JOINT PARK BOARD.

Once she goes blindly into these discussions with the township she will find it is ENTIRELY supported with operating levies and property taxes for five years. One of the first things it does is to turn all of the city park's assets over to this parks board. The parks board then leases those facilities back from the city. Keep in mind the city is the only party here that owns anything in the way of parks (157 acres of park land, the Swim Club pool, and the Carnegie Library).

The second thing it does is that it voids the alternative source of revenues for the city with doing away with the City park's impact fees. Ironically Terry Dunlap has lobbied against these impact fees in the township only to now desire the facilities that those impact fee bought for the community.

Finally it will require yet another property tax of probably 2 mils. If they want the recreation center that some private companies are willing to build and operate then the required milage will be in the range of 5 to 7 mils.

I thought these guys on council touted that they were Republicans. They are really tax and spend democrats.

By Waiting to kiss my money good by

Let's see what Jeff can do

?“Mr. Fix stated he found the Utility Fees Review Commission to be inefficient because it seemed to take quite a lot of time to get something done. He stated he meant no offense to any member of that Commission, it was just that it took so long to get everyone versed on the issues?“.

Jeff Fix February 20th, 2008

?“Mr. Sabatino stated he did not feel there was enough time to get citizens up to speed on all of the issues on something that is as time sensitive as this is.?”

Mike Sabatino February 20th 2008


The above two quotes are from the regular Council Finance committee meeting on February 20th concerning the formation of two finance sub-committees. Fix, Sauer and Sabatino volunteered for the expense sub-committee. It appears they are none to in a hurry to address the city's financial situation. I am sure knowing that the expense sub-committee will drag this out long enough that the income sub-committee will have no idea what is needed to balance the budget over the next few years. So I guess how does the income sub-committee recommend a tax increase if they don?’t know what will be cut from the budget and how much? Judging from previous quotes they are already planning on something for the voters in November.

What will it be?


I will tell you one thing Jeff Fix and Brian Sauer do not have the spine to deal with what they must do. They won?’t cut anything and they will leave it to the voters to decide if they want to tax themselves more. I for one am fed up with these taxes. I won?’t vote for any of them. Especially if they can?’t find any cuts to get down to a more reasonable level of service versus taxes. Here we have Sauer and Fix both advocating to cooperate witht he township and I am thinking where are the trustees? Maybe they can for go that .6 mils levy of inside milage and that would save three police officers or pave our streets. Where are the trustees anyway plotting another law suit?

JEFF FIX AND BRIAN SAUER ARE IN OVER THEIR HEADS AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL BE THE ONE SUFFERING.

By Waiting to kiss my money good by