Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

The debate over the proposed tax increases for the schools is, at some level, meaningless. Even if the new levies are passed, the will soon prove inadequate and further tax burdens will be requested of the citizens. In the latest publication of the school board, the annual calendar, there are projected growth rates. These rates presume a continuation of a rate of growth of about four percent per year, or over four hundred new student a year with the numbers increasing steadily. The assumption is that every single-family residential unit built within the school district will add one student per household. In short, the projections assume that in the township and city there will be about four hundred homes added per year. These numbers are, while perhaps historically accurate, and are nonetheless inappropriate for future predictions. At present, the city and township are adding new homes at the rate of 800 per year or twice the numbers assumed by the school board. Plats already approved by the city call for the addition of nearly 5,000.00 new homes and the developers are increasing this pace. The city has recently voted to add further staff to the city ?‘s building department to help the developers process even more permits and final plat approvals.

In short, there is a crisis looming of monumental proportion. Either the citizens will be taxed beyond their means or will have to accept schools of significantly lesser quality than is presently enjoyed by their children. Unless something is accomplished immediately the quality of our schools will begin to suffer as it becomes necessary to cut programs, eliminate athletics and increase the size of classrooms.

The tragedy is that the governments facing this crisis refuse to respond. Time after time proposals have been made to Pickerington City Council to curtail growth. It would appear that the citizens must face the possibility that the government is corrupt. The city has a mayor who ?“owns?” motorcycles along with a prominent developer and lives in a home owned by one of the developers?’ corporations. Stories abound about one councilman said to go on trips to Las Vegas with developers and/or their attorneys. Another councilman has, on past occasion, and perhaps still, benefited from the bonding of developments. The former mayor, who is now apparently in an economic relationship with Homewood, has access to City Hall and, if rumors are to be believed, freely instructs city employees on development issues. The city has habitually hired the very same attorneys retained by developers in their annexation battles, to oppose legislation reform and to provide legal opinions on petitions by citizens to curtail development. There are even more troubling rumors about city officials economically benefiting from development. Given this, is anyone surprised that the city government acts as if it is an agent of the developers and strenuously fights every attempt by citizens to curtail development.

Sadder still is the situation of the school board. Instead of speaking up against the practices of unrestrained development and the TIF?’s given to developers by the City, thereby depriving the school revenue, the school board remains silent and chooses instead to hope that they can continue to ask the taxpayers for money.
There are several alternatives for the voters. First, they can stand up now and fight (and demand that the school board fight) the City of Pickerington by removing these officials at election. Second the can request that an outside agency be called in to investigate the present city government. Third, they can vote for restrictions for development if they ever reach the ballot.

On the other hand, everyone can simply move from Pickerington when the schools go south, the roads become unbearable and the taxes prohibitive.



By Marcus Aurelius

I now see the connection.

The latest SE Messenger (August 12th), the last PATA Newsletter, and the banter on this website have made ?“what?’s going on?” crystal clear.

PATA shows the corruption for what it really is on their recent cover alone.

The ?“little?” officials cry foul and get as much help from their developer?’s buddies lawyers in tow along with the ''City speak'' newspaper.

The school board throws us another ?“building promise / solution bond issues?” to help save us and tax (yes, misspelling intended) on the more operating millage at an even higher clip.

The developers, lawyers, and cronies laugh with glee at their good fortune as the residents keep them in vogue with more schools bonds ?‘n levies so they can keep building and burying our schools. (I say our cause they?’ll build us out and be gone.)

While the Schools have mapped out the ?“game plan?” the City Officials have mapped out the vehicles of threaten lawsuits upon citizen?’s efforts and fortified their building department's staff for the glut of 1,200 more homes as quick as can be.

And of course IT IS the citizens fault...............

Thank you SE Messenger the collusion is now clearer.


By no longer myopic

Corruption to the core!

Marcus is correct. In my opinion, one scarcely knows where city hall ends and developer?’s interests begin. The city of Pickerington will stop at nothing to silence the citizens they claim to represent. The use of emergency legislation, pre-annexation agreements and T.I.F?’s are but a few examples of city hall willfully ignoring the city residents who put them (some of them anyway) into office. In doing so, they have created a backlash that has them scrambling for faster approval of the homes negotiated in secret by way of pre-annexation agreements. All this, at city resident?’s expense. Unless the citizens of this community unite, any attempt to topple the corrupt administration will fail.

Perhaps a community fundraiser to pay for an attorney to investigate the city?’s misdeeds and a PR specialist to expose these employee ill-gotten gains? Indeed, something drastic must occur very soon. City hall has proven they are unwilling to wait for November or other attempts by citizens to take their local government back from the homebuilders.

Finally, Pickerington city residents need to realize that when the money runs dry and this administration has gone off to greener pastures, your bills will finally roll in. Be it increased city income taxes and/or increased water & sewer rates. All of which do not affect V.T. residents. You have to ask yourself, Pickerington residents, ?“Am I making my home less valuable than the homes in V.T. by my inaction??”

Leaders or Liars?

Dear Pickerington Residents:

Please read the below minutes from the April 16th, 2002 city council meeting. This does not contain the entire meeting's minutes, only sections dealing with the two ordinances that were deemed illegal by the city's attorney.
I do not believe they ever had any intentions of letting Pickerington residents decide the 2 homes/acre for themselves. Please note in Section 8F, Mr. Shaver asking that the ordinances not get bogged down and Lou Postage saying that wouldn't occur.

Interestingly enough, the so called local Republican leader, Brian Fox, remains silent as his ordinances are quietly killed.

Editors note: Cut & paste from Pickerington City web page, council minutes,
section 8:

F. ORDINANCE 2002-41, ''AN ORDINANCE TO PLACE AN AMENDMENT TO THE PICKERINGTON CODIFIED ORDINANCES ON THE NOVEMBER 5, 2002, GENERAL ELECTION
FOR THE ELECTORS' APPROVAL OR REJECTION, RELATIVE TO MAXIMUM DENSITY FOR RESIDENTIAL/MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT,'' First Reading, Parker. Mr. Fox moved
to adopt; Mr. Wright seconded the motion. Mr. Parker clarified this would have Committee action prior to the third reading. Mayor Hughes stated he
will assign the legislation to Committee so it can go through the normal process. Mr. Shaver stated he would not like to see these three become
bogged down in Committee and Mr. Postage stated that will not occur. Mr. Maxey stated in answer to Mr. Shaver's questions he would like to explain
that Ordinance 2002-40 that was just voted on is for the final development plan only, the zoning is already in place. He stated he did not see where anything in these three ordinances would have an effect on that ordinance.
Roll call was taken with Mr. Monebrake, Mr. Maxey, Mr. Wright, Mr. Fox, Mr. Parker, Mr. Postage, and Mr. Shaver voting ''Yea.'' Motion passed, 7-0. Mayor Hughes stated he would refer this ordinance to Service Committee.

G. ORDINANCE 2002-42, ''AN ORDINANCE TO PLACE AN AMENDMENT TO THE PICKERINGTON CODIFIED ORDINANCES ON THE NOVEMBER 5, 2002, GENERAL ELECTION
FOR THE ELECTORS' APPROVAL OR REJECTION RELATIVE TO WATER AND SEWER FEES,''
First Reading, Postage. Mr. Fox moved to adopt; Mr. Wright seconded the motion. Roll call was taken with Mr. Monebrake, Mr. Maxey, Mr. Wright, Mr. Fox, Mr. Parker, Mr. Postage, and Mr. Shaver voting ''Yea.'' Motion passed, 7-0. Mayor Hughes stated he would refer this ordinance to Finance Committee.

H. ORDINANCE 2002-43, ''AN ORDINANCE TO SUBMIT AN AMENDMENT TO THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF PICKERINGTON TO THE ELECTORS, REALTIVE TO PASSAGE OF EMERGENCY ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS,'' First Reading, Fox. Mr. Fox moved to adopt; Mr.
Wright seconded the motion. Mr. Fox stated on this particular ordinance timing is critical. He stated as he understood it, if we sent this to the
Board of Elections to soon, we would have to hold a special election. Mr. Fox stated we must send it within 120 to 60 days prior to the general
election in order to meet that time line. Mr. Maxey ascertained a special election would cost the City between $6,000 and $8,000 because it is so much per precinct. Roll call was taken with Mr. Monebrake, Mr. Maxey, Mr. Wright, Mr. Fox, Mr. Parker, Mr. Postage, and Mr. Shaver voting ''Yea.'' Motion passed, 7-0. Mayor Hughes stated he would refer this ordinance to Rules
Committee.

... End of cut and paste from the Pickerington city web page.

Community leaders or liars? You be the judge.