Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

I am very concerned for our city. In that our political oversight by council is failing us. I believe the city is making a colossal error in judgment in the most recent votes concerning the proposed income tax increases.

At this point, I have not seen any accurate numbers and with those numbers that have been provided they are not consistence from meeting to meeting.

So here again I think using the 2008 budget numbers it indicates that the finance director is projecting total income tax collections for 2008 at $4,300,000. That is a slight increase over 2007. Pro-rating the credits given to taxpayers that can claim a credit from another city that figure is around $1,300,000.

If we simply separate the two taxpayer groups (those receiving an exemption and those not) we can project what a 2% income tax next year will bring in. Since the city computer system can?’t give a number of taxpayers like some are stating we are left to only work with dollar amounts. Obviously if we say that we give $1.3 million in credits then we can also say that we are receiving $1.3 million from that group. If we subtract that $1.3 M from the $4.3 M then that leaves us with $3 M. The non-credit group currently pays $3 Million to the city. If we double their taxes then the new projected income would be $6 Million. Then if the city gives a 100% credit to the credit group then that $1.3 million goes away. Apparently the city council is finding ways to spend not only the $6 Million but also not allow the credit group to keep their money and the total income if the income tax passes will be $6 M plus the $1.3 M or $7.3 million projected income for 2009 if the increase passes.

Also note: I am using figures projected for 2008. Normally our income taxes collection has increased every year including with a bad economy. So my figure of $7.3 Million for 2009 may be a little low (3 or 4 percent).

On June 3rd the council was expecting to raise around $1.7 Million by going to a 2% income tax and allowing this 75% credit. As I have outlined above that figure is more like $3 Million more each year.


It has been stated in the paper that they are projecting a $6 Million deficit over the next five years. Yet they are happy to work the figures and try to scam the public that they need more.

So let?’s explore some of the additional needs I have heard from various members of council and from the local newspapers.

PAY DOWN OUR DEBT:

This income issue can only be spent on general fund projects and issues. The current debt (at the end of 2008) in the general fund will be: $11,156,205. The only issues of that $11 Million plus that can be paid down early is $3,160,000 in the one year notes.

Why would the taxpayers send the city their money to pay down the City debt when most of us are struggling with our own debt issues along with the daily expenses to feed our family and put gas in our cars?

What guarantee will the taxpayers have if they approve this tax increase that the debt (if that if important to the taxpayers) will be paid down?


By Ted Hackworth

Income tax NO!! Continued

What I will support and what I would vote for is an issue on the ballot that says do you want to raise the city income tax from 1% to 2% and the city will give a 100% credit to taxpayers who earn money in another city up to 2%.

Most of the voters going into the voting booth will see only that the city wants to raise it?’s income tax from 1% to 2% with no mention of a credit. Not knowing anything else they will not vote to increase their taxes.

As we see with the school district levy campaigns, trust in that government entity is very important. Human nature will resist paying more in taxes until they fully understand the impact of the situation. Clearly creating issues to spend money only lowers the importance of the critical situation the city faces if this income tax increase fails.

I think over reaching in terms of need will come back to bite this council in the butt. They are buying into Jeff Fix poorly thought out plan and the voters will surely reject them. Once the issue fails then our police department will feel the full impact of the cuts. I doubt the police department will survive if the income tax fails.

Despite knowing consequences of failure I will not support this income tax increase just so the council members can have pocket change to spend on their pet projects.

Clearly Mr. Fix wants to fool us all into thinking that if we send the city more money next year he will pay down the debt and do the $30 or so million in street infrastructure improvements listed on the City Capital Improvement Plan. I got news for Mr. Fix many of the CIP projects have been on there for the last three years or more and they can stay there another five years and have no negative effects on the city or its taxpayers.

When shopping for funding the city is limited by state law that they can only borrow up to ten and half percent of the assessed value of the city. That means we can borrow around $43 Million. That is if we had the income to make the debt service payments. If we give this council and future councils extra income tax funds to qualify for the debt service payments you know that there is very little restraints with politicians in providing the infrastructures for the citizens. I believe Mr. Fix says the ?“facilities we deserve?”.

Clearly the 2% tax with the 100% credit will bring in enough money to pay the current debt service payments and re-instate the road paving and maintain the current levels at the police department. It will also allow for a cushion ($500,000) each year for other projects that are deemed emergencies. It will also and more importantly restrict how much additional debt this or the next few councils can get into. They will need to wait until some of the current debt bond/issues are paid off.

Finally I see the city council and some of its members have flipped regarding public funds to be used for campaign purposes. Apparently they have been told that this is legal. My question; is it moral? When we had the same issue come up during the issue 9 ballot where the city was going to fund that campaign to ?“educate the public?” some that opposed to that are now supporting spending the $10,000 now. I think they realize they have a weak case and they will need some real spin to get this income tax increase passed. I know they have lost two votes here.

By Ted Hackworth

Ted, please stop

Ted,

For years I had a lot of faith in you and your words. Now as I read the change in the tone of your postings I have to wonder if you have shaken my faith. I am trying my best to come to terms with the apparent complexity of this tax proposal. At times I have been able to make sense of it by reading your postings. I don?’t believe the newspapers have explained it in any sort of easy way. I called the tax department and got what was probably the most easy to understand explanation. They asked me where I work. I told them Columbus and they were able to tell me how the ballot issue, if approved, would affect me. I told them my husband worked in Gahanna and they were able to tell me how it affects him. When I asked them why it seemed so complex reading your explanation or reading the papers they said they hoped that the ordinance would pass that would allow the city staff to present an informational campaign because it is as easy to explain as ?“If you live here and work there?…?”

Ted, it seems to me that you made recommendations here in this website that council ultimately followed. Well, it seems they followed it almost to the letter and what fine point they didn?’t follow your lead on has caused you to turn on them and attack. You posted earlier that if council presented a tax option you recommended it had the best chance to pass. Now you say it won?’t. You said if they made the tax credit like you said the city would be on the road to financial recovery so they did and now we face certain doom.

Ted, I think it might perhaps be time for you to enjoy your retirement. Spend time with your family. Enjoy your grandchildren and maybe travel some. I think it is time you bow out of the political spotlight. You know what a hard job it is to be a councilman. You know what it is like to have the differing political agendas that many councilmen have. You know how big some of their egos are and how protective they are of them. Why are you beating this dead horse? You are no different that Mr. Sabatino in that aspect. The time to make statements about this tax issue and how council should vote or think or act is past. Yet you still poke and jab, kick and punch them for not doing exactly what you say every step of the way.

Has council made the absolute best decision humanly possible? I don?’t know but I think they made a good decision. The key word in that question is human. They are all human and are dealing with what I assume are many complex issues; not just this tax issue. They for the most part don?’t have the luxury of time to get intensely focused on one single issue and stand on your soapbox and pontificate like you do.

You appear to be proposing a campaign against this tax proposal. Good luck to you. I thought your campaigning days were over but it looks like I was in error. I wish you wouldn?’t have become a bully like some of our township trustees. I think you were probably one of the most informed and dedicated councilmen we have had in a long time but apparently losing the last election has turned you so bitter that you now have a ?“My way or the highway?” attitude and that is a shame. Please stop trying to bully council or at least publicly join forces with Mr. Sabatino and berate and bully council in the public forum.

First FD. Now PD. Phooey


First the Fire Department and now the Police Department!

Gosh Ted, you have now gone from trying to form a city fire department and kill VTFD to now we won?’t have a police department, or more specifically, that our PD won?’t survive. What will it be next? You were WAY WRONG on the FD. Does the possibility exist you are wrong about this too??? Are you in talks with your faithful Republican buddy Sheriff Phalen and got this all worked out? Are your roots in the republican club up here finally bearing fruit?

I agree with the last poster. You have gone from committed public servant to a tyrannical bully. Knock it off for cripe?’s sake. Since council has not proposed YOUR tax deal you will vote against everything. Great, but keep your vote at the polls and quit trying to frighten and bully other voters into believing that we will lose our PD if we don?’t do things your way.

Look at it this way, if you are right and people vote down this tax increase because they believed your threats ?– YOU WIN!!! You lost the last election but you can win this one without knocking on a single door. Hooray for TED!

Tell you what. If you win this November, maybe council will just resign and let you run the city Ted?’s Way.

You?’ve gone over the edge. Please stop trying to threaten, bully, frighten or otherwise cajole this city into becoming PICKERING-TED.