Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Sorry ...

but I don't drink therefore it is safe to assume I'm not hung-over.

I thought increasing taxes solved every problem there was. :)

There is a better way

Ms. Ross,My name is Michael Noll and I am the Democratic candidate for Fairfield County Commissioner. I am a retired National Sales Manager of an 8 billion dollar company. I retired at age 49 and now I want to solve the problems of school funding. First of all, we must look at what is causing the problem. Unbridled development that is not finishing the communities that they are developing. In Lancaster, Dominion Homes is building 600 homes and will initiate a second phase of another 550 homes. Dominion is not spending one cent to build schools, only relying on the current community to fund the schools. That seems backwards to me. We are also forgetting that we are a nation that doesnot educate our children past grade 12. I propose that via a county wide program based upon trusts, other donations and a small closing fee on house sales, every child in Fairfield County can have money to become a doctor, teacher, diesel mechanic hairdresser or what ever he or she wants to be. This will make our children more productive and perhaps even deter crime. Check my web, mikenoll.com and let me know what you think.

Michael Noll

You do some checking too

Mike,

Thank you for your interest in our site. I have heard about your candidacy from other PATA members and I will visit your site.

A few years ago, I spoke to our board of education about the feasiblity of setting up a 'Community Authority'' (the state term for impact fee generator and plan) similar to what New Albany and Granville have created to help their schools and city/village services. I could not understand why this was not being vigorously pursued by the PLSD. After my visit to the board meeting,I did some research on the feasiblity of such a set up in Pickerington and Dr. Rigelman spoke to the attorney who set up New Albany's Authority about our Pickerington situation.

Based on my research and DR. Rigelman's information, it is my understanding that the way Ohio Law is written, that unless development encompasses more than 1000 acres per project,OR is wholly encompassed by a municipality, OR the ''community authority is created by the developer of the properties, it can be difficult to do. In New Albany, the New Albany Company controls more than 1000 acres and thus set up their authority. Additionally, they are a 'developer'' which meets one of the other criteria for the creation of the authority.

In Granville, citizens and their leaders had the guts to take the developers to the Supreme Court fighting their planned developments.BRAVO. Even though the citizen's lost their case in court, it certainly opened the eyes of the developers and hit them in the legal wallet (not that that hurt any as it was M/I)It finally dawned on this developer that if he was going to shove a development plan down the throats of the citizens who vehamently opposed it,and wold continue to do anything it took to publically oppose it... that he might not be too successful in marketing these homes with staunch citizen activism in opposition! The developer made a deal with the people to create the community authority, and allow the community to collect impact fees in order to defer some of the new school building costs the taxpayers would incur because of the infux of children into the schools his homes would create. Strong citizen pressure brought this about.

research cont'd

In Pickerington, we rarely have any development that even approaches 1000 acres as each farm that is sold is usually much smaller. Our school district encompasses several municipalities and a very populous Violet Township which negates the opportunity for any Authority set up by a single municipality.

We also have leadership who ''cultivates relationships'' with developers and large land owners and caters to their whims at the expense of the well being of the community. Until these public ''servants'' are replaced, this community authority or ''new community'' will never happen!

I urge you to visit the Ohio Revised Code online and search under ''Community Authority'' and it will take you to the statutes which govern such a set up.

Do we have the level of citizen activism in this community to force the developers to create such a vehicle for impact fees since that is our only option as it appears under the current law? WE have developer attorneys regularly visiting city council meetings lately to warn of lawsuits if a density limiting initiative is passed by a vote of the citizens. Their captive, city council audience quakes in their boots at these threats, even though other communities have passed similar legislation to limit density and are not being sued by the BIA or any developer. Pataskala, just to our North passed a density limiting intitative on the ballot recently.

I anticipate the city offical spin prior to the election... of PATA or Ricketts interests,''forcing'' the city to incur large legal fees to to support this initiative when they, the city, are sued by the developers.

My bottom line is this... If they (the developers) think they can come into our community and build and develop property in a manner that the community will not support financially with increased taxes to pay for the services needed... in essence forcing it down our throats...then shame on us for allowing it... for buying their homes...for not screaming from the roof of city hall for this to stop! I strongly believe that DEVELOPERS LIVE AND DIE by their reputations and that their reputations with their customers (US) will be damaged because they continue to insist on building what we do not want them to build, and ruining this community by creating a need for staggering taxes to support our schools. The battle will be won in the housing market and the citizens have got to realize they are the market and the fuel which drives it. DEMAND BETTER...don't buy if they won't do better. DEMAND new leadership, elect new faces and ideas. It is a daunting task but it can be done even fighting BIG MONEY interests. WE are many, they are few.

Good Luck in the election.