Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

over $7 million surplus funds

''Pickerington city officials say they need the tax increase because the city is projecting $6 million in deficits over the next five years''.

Am I reading this right? $6 Million divided by 5 years equals $1.2 Million per year.

''Doubling the income tax would raise $2.7 million more per year''.

So if we use the council's logic and they say they need $6 Million over 5 years and they are asking for $13.5 Million over that same five years.

What gives here?

I think we need a real clear answer on what they plan to do with the $.7.5 million in surplus funds from the taxpayers?

Fix mentioned the $30 million in capital projects. Could Fix specify exactly what they intend to build out of the general fund? Is this the truck load of money Fix has been expecting the last couple of years with his fuzzy math?

Smith says 85% of the people will not see an increase. Exactly what public document did he pull that out of? Or is he pulling it out of some other place?

Just with the limited amount I know about the tax increase I will tell you that over half (54%) of the Pickerington taxpayers will see their taxes doubled.

Where are these guys getting their information?

I also understand that staff made a slight mistake of $1 Million in the initial figures and now this same council is relying on the same staff to provide the figures that they are voting on.

54%?

And where are you getting this information from since you're so informed? I don't know where you live but I can guarantee you that not every other house in my neighborhood has someone living in it that works within the City of Pickerington borders.

where they live

I said that 54% of the taxpayers will see their taxes doubled if this issue passes. Does taxpyers mean residents or voters? Do all taxpayers live in the city?

Twisting of words

What was stated in the paper is this:

''Councilmen Keith Smith and Jeff Fix said that 85 percent of Pickerington's residents would experience no increase in municipal taxes under the present proposal. Most of the tax increase would be paid by those who work in Pickerington.''

85% of RESIDENTS would not experience an increase in their taxes. Residents are the ones voting on this.

So yes it is safe to assume that ''Most of the tax increase would be paid by those who work in Pickerington.'' But the majority of the city residents do NOT work in the city limits.

Your 54% may have some merit but they're not the ones voting on this issue.