Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

During the most recent campaign to convince the Pickerington voters to increase the income tax on themselves the common theme was to ?“MAINTAIN?” services. In the shot gun approach they included, Police, Parks and Rec. Streets, and Debt reduction.

On Wisniewski?’s blog he said that the city needed around 1 million to balance the budget. He also said that the originally proposed 1.7 million would balance the budget and leave some for a cushion.

In reading the minutes of the finance committees there was Fix, Sauer and Sabatino looking into cuts for the budget. Last spring they interviewed or questioned the police department. It was established at the time of this meeting that to reduce the costs for police it would require a cut in personnel.

Just about two weeks ago I read where the city manager was not going to recommend another ballot issue be run.

This RITA thing is some kind of agency that will out source the collection of city income taxes to this private concern. Depending on who you talk to or read this will save between 50k to 70K.

Apparently a member of council was nosing around and was asking what the sheriff?’s department would charge the city for providing police protection to the city. Not sure if an answer was given but it appears that the city council can?’t seem to face the music.

The two choices in my mind that they have is either they scale down the income tax request to the voters and run it again or out source the police department. If the Police get over half of their funding from the income tax and over half of the income tax goes to support the police then how can anyone expect the city to keep the police department if they don?’t have the money to pay these officers?

If they cut the snow plowing and it has very little effect on the income tax fund then why cut that back? If they can outsource the income tax collection and save 50K then they should do so. I think the City of Columbus also collects income taxes for a few suburban cities and villages. What do they charge?

Now if all of this can be done without cutting the police department then that is all well and good. Clearly I can?’t see this happening because the police budget is just too big proportionally to the over all budget. They say they need to cut nearly a million (Wisniewski)and they only have 13 officers I can?’t see many of them left after cuts.

Yes the no fire works, no senior services donation and no Violet Festival donation all will save some money but most of this is small change in comparison. Even with the RITA I don?’t see them getting very close to a balanced budget.

So why is Wisniewski now saying we won?’t cut or out source the police department and why is he against cutting or outsourcing the income tax collection? He latest blog indicates that.

FOLKS YOU CAN?”T GET THERE FROM HERE WITH NO PLAN. SOMEBODY PLEASE TURN THE HEAD LIGHTS OFF BECUASE OUR DEAR COUNCIL HAS STARTED STARING.

By Bow season to start soon

Hmm

Looks like the Deer charged the bow hunter. I just read both blogs.

By Hunter becomes the hunted

Do any of you see the GORILLA?

I stand by my comments of earlier. Our dear council is frozen and unable to address the issues before them. They are trying to sell us all a bill of goods because they are fearful in making any decision and addressing the budget problems of the city.

To justify the 2.8 mil tax hike Wisniewski says they were figuring in 800 K for repaving. There is a posting down the page named ''council majority thoughts''. It seems clear to me and probably every one else, because as of October 29th the staff was only recommending 400 K for the annual repaving.

For the debt payment for Diley road,Wisniewski is figuring in 775K. I need to look further into that one because I see in the 2008 budget they only have 402K budgeted. Not sure where he is getting the other 370K.


Those two items alone put us down to near 1 mil.

The Wisniewski lists the 300 K in new benefits and salary hikes for the police department. Come on guys lets get serious. The PPD is over half the general fund budget and all we hear is the Chief complaining in the paper that he has a cruiser with 90k miles on it. He won?’t get an additional officer this year. Come on guys the PPD is milking the city dry. For a comparison the debt payment on the police station is around 320K per year.

Last week the paper said that there are ten positions open in the city government that won?’t be filled, but they are filling the police dispatcher position because a person resigned. I think it is time that the police chief needs to answer to council on why he can?’t control the costs of his department. My first question would be why in the world are they still driving around in Fords, Chevy?’s and Chryslers? I travel a lot in my job and I have lost a transmission in everyone of the above mentioned vehicles. Here is a hint (TOYOTA, HONDA) Have any of these officers ever considered fore going a pay raise to help the city? Oh that?’s right none of them live in the city so what do they care.

Here is the problem. 2009 is an election year and the majority of council is up for re-election. You all know as well as I nothing will be done this year that is the least bit controversial. Let alone openly looking into hiring either Franklin County or Fairfield County Sheriff departments to provide security to the city. Maybe approaching Franklin county they will know how to keep their mouths shut.

The PPD sucks up every dollar the city received in income tax revenues. Isn?’t it strange that with all the cuts NONE have been made to the PPD. I have not heard one comment from anyone on council to ask or to suggest to the Chief if he could cut back. There is a 800 pound Gorilla in the room and no one seems to notice.

Thanks Ted

You opinions on thse topics are appreciated as they were in the past. You now cimply have substituted PPD for VTFD.

You and Gary have a new voice on council - Brian Sauer.

Tell him to post under his name and it will alleviate some of the rumors being attributed to him when it was really you and Fix.

Hackworth / Weltlich / Sauer / Fix - it seems like the NW Republican Club is seeing a resurgence.