Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

At what point do the leaders of this community start to realize the damage they have been doing by mutilating the voters with a superficial statement about our schools and our financial well being.

A couple of weeks ago the City Auditor spoke out against the PATA newsletter for understanding the City?’s 2001 income. She claims in the paper that the revenues increased by 6% overall. Yet her debt load has increased 235% over last year. How does the city support those decisions that they have made that lead us into this abyss? SIMPLE, THEY SEE NO PROBLEM.

On Monday night the PLSD just voted to put TWO tax increases in one on the ballot this November. One is to build two new elementary schools at a price of around $27 million dollars. Tussing Elementary cost the district less than $10 million and now there are figuring a 30% increase in the estimates of these new schools. The board then went on to build the two middle schools in 1997. After they completed these two schools our school district was in debt over $52 million. Almost two years ago the district approved building a High School and a new Junior High. They are under construction at this time and will open in 2003. That drove the district debt to over $110 million. Before these new schools are even occupied they are planning on increasing the district debt load to well over $135 million. That well means the district?’s debt load will increase 265% since 1997. The number of new tax payers doesn?’t even come close to matching the rate of growth versus the rate of debt growth both in the City of Pickerington and also in the PLSD.

Simply stated; we are spending ourselves into BANKRUPCY. When do we cut up the credit cards?

Those elected to the Pickerington City Council in 1999 all promised us that they would develop a business / commercial park. Instead they have approved over 4000 new homes to be platted just as soon as the builders can sell and build them. Even with all this new revenue from city income taxpayer?’s Pickerington still only had a 6% growth in their revenues last year. The disparity in these numbers are huge. Why can?’t our leaders see this? Mainly because we all have let them have their way with us. We pass these levies and they build more schools. They build more schools they approve more building lots. They even give the developers breaks or incentives to build even more homes. In the recent annexation of 675 acres south and east of Pickerington the City agreed to discount numerous fees in the amount of $3 million to help even more homes come into Pickerington. Anyone driving around town can see the effects of the failed policies of our GOVERNEMENTS. Yes I made that plural. The PLSD is just as guilty as the City and Township for their policies.

IT IS TIME FOR SPLIT SESSIONS.


By Bill Murray

Simple Solutions



The solution to the school crisis and the overcrowding is simple. We need to place on the ballot the issue of whether Pickerington should continue to exist as a political entity. If we eliminate the city, we eliminate Snow Job Joyce and her seven toadies. Without this crowd the developers might need to deal with a political entity that is not in their back pocket and /or are silent business partners with the developers. If city hall is eliminated, the developers might actually be required to spend some money on the community rather than sucking the community dry through TIF's and free sewer and water taps and roads that are paid for by the taxpayers but are really for the benefit of the developers.

Moreover, we would eliminate the city income tax and these monies could be forwarded to the schools. The school district could use the city municipal building for one elementary school and the newly constructed police station for the other elementary school. This police station already comes equiped with a gym.

Someone needs to begin researching how to unincorporate.


By Sam Clemens

Violets are Broke!

I applaud the fine school district we have here in Pickerington however I cannot and will not support a new school levy or bond issue when growth remains uncontrolled. Pickerington continues to gobble-up land to rezone for high-density residential homes. We cannot continue to treat the symptoms while letting the cancer fester. With that in mind I cannot justify spending more of my money on the schools, only to see Pickerington divert property tax revenue from the school district to benefit homebuilders (TIFs). Pickerington is filling each and every new building with more kids as fast as we can build them. It is futile to think we can build our way out of this overcrowding crisis. Let the homebuilders (i.e., Dominion, M/I, Centex, etc.) build the schools! They are the industry that caused the need. Or better yet let those resilient elementary kids occupy more and more portables. The A/C runs much cooler in the trailers, or so I'm told.


If I were a Pickerington resident, I?’d begin to worry about what?’s going to happen 2-3 years from now when the tax-man cometh. 'Cause You ain?’t seen nothing yet!~







By No to More School Taxes!

65 of 100 school $ go to devlprs

For every $100.00 you pay in taxes for your schools your city manager can send $65.00 to the developers in the form of a TIF.
Call the County Auditor, Barbra Curtis, I did.
A TIF is a Tax Increment Financing area that will get infrastructure improvements.
If you approve the levy, you are GIVING your hard earned money to the developers who you are trying to disuade from building so agressively. If you deny the levy AND push for the ''no inducements'' petition to be passed to the voters and the voters decide they have given the city manager enough of their hard earned money, maybe the schools would actually benefit from the tax dollars you think you are giving them.
I am so glad I don't live in Pickeringtontaxland.


By Violet