Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Dear friends and neighbors:

As you know by now, your school board recently took the first steps toward placing on the ballot this November (a) a bond levy to finance the construction of two new elementary schools at a total cost not to exceed $27 million, and (b) an operating levy of at least 6 mills to fill an anticipated $6 million operating deficit at the end of school year 2003-04. The board will make its final decision on these matters, which require two readings, at its meeting next Monday, August 12.

These levies would significantly increase the already considerable school tax burden that we bear. Currently, PLSD taxpayers pay operating millage of 22 mills, an income tax that is equivalent to 11 mills, and bond millage of 11 mills. Taxpayers in the Lancaster school district, in contrast, currently pay no income tax, no bond millage, and only 24.5 operating mills.

The difference is that Lancaster is not suffering explosive residential growth, as is Pickerington, and Lancaster has a significantly stronger tax base. According to the Ohio Department of Education, in March of this year, before the recent round of reassessments, Lancaster had an assessed property valuation per pupil of nearly $112,000, compared to the PLSD's $80,000. And commercial property accounted for more than 42% of Lancaster's property tax base, compared with the PLSD's 18%. Thus Lancaster, with lower tax rates, could spend $1,000 more per student than the PLSD.

Our higher tax rates are the price we pay for trying to build strong schools on a weak tax base, and in the face of explosive population growth. There is no doubt in my mind who is responsible for these conditions. Our city council has been encouraging residential growth, with zoning variances, fee waivers and assorted other enticements, which have undercut the more responsible policies of the township board of trustees. I have never heard anyone even attempt to argue that the city council's policies are in the public interest. There is no doubt that, with the exception of Mr. Shaver, every member of the city council should be replaced.

But where does that leave the PLSD? To retaliate against a plainly irresponsible city council by allowing our schools to deteriorate would be self-destructive. And I am convinced that the PLSD does need additional operating revenue.

(continued)



By Bruce Rigelman

Proposed School Tax Increaes 2

(Continued from Proposed School Tax Increases 1)

Just nine months ago the PLSD's former Treasurer Dennis Menoski forecast that we would end the 2003-04 school year, not with a deficit, but with a $2.7 million surplus. What has happened since then? Here are a few of the key developments:

* Due to increased health care costs and mistakes by Mr. Menoski in forecasting pension costs, fringe benefits exceeded Mr. Menoski's forecast by $1.1 million this past year, and are now expected to exceed that forecast by $1.5 million this coming year and $1.4 million next year.

* Purchased services are expected to exceed Mr. Menoski's forecast by $1.5 million in 03-04, due to the higher utility costs associated with our two new schools which, due to building code changes, have been designed for increased outside ventilation.

* Due to historically low interest rates, interest earnings fell almost $400,000 short of Mr. Menoski's forecast this past year, and are now projected to fall $1 million short for each of the next two years.

* Income tax receipts fell almost $300,000 short this past year, and are now expected to fall $800,000 short this coming year and $1.3 million short next year.

* Property tax receipts fell almost $1.2 million short this past year, and are expected to fall nearly $1.4 million short this coming year, and $1.6 million short next year.

I have learned the hard way the impossibility of making such forecasts more than two years out. Thus I believe we should request only enough additional millage to deal with the anticipated 03-04 deficit. More than 6 mills would be needed to deal with the deficit now projected for later years, and I am unwilling to ask the voters for more than 6 mills.

I also believe that the PLSD must take other measures to close the budget gap. I believe, for example, that the PLSD can, and should, trim at least $1 million from its 03-04 budget. I also believe that we should place our $2.5 million of interest earnings on the construction fund for the new high school and middle school in the general fund, and use these earnings to pay operating expenses.

These measures will not close the budget gap, but only reduce the amount of new millage that is needed to close the gap. Nonetheless, I will insist that these measures be taken, and will support only the millage needed to close the gap after taking these measures into account. Under no circumstances will I vote for more than 6 mills.

I would appreciate your advice on these matters. I still have one vote left to cast on this issue. How should I cast it? What should the PLSD do to deal with this problem?

I will have more to say later this week on the proposed bond millage.

By Bruce Rigelman

So sad

If it were me and I missed my forecasts - ANY forecast- by that much in my job, I would be fired and I do believe they would try to prosecute, or at least persecute me.

So sad.

So sad for the young families who came here to make a go of it, realize the American Dream, put their kids first. They took advantage of low interest rates to get into a nice neighborhood and might have stretched themselves a little thin to do it. How much further can they stretch when the full brunt of the former treasurer?’s mistakes are felt? When the full cost of the Refugee Road palaces is felt?

So sad.

So sad for the talented educators who will catch the brunt of the animosity this wallet grabbing will foster.

So sad.

So sad for the community who will become further divided by this. Council subscribes to the ?“Divide and Conquer?” philosophy. The Trustees worry me. I think we elected the wrong people last time out. I think they are divided.

So sad.

So sad the school boundary decision started to divide the community into the rich school/poor school/which side of the tracks do you live on mentality that I grew up with.

So sad.

So sad that we have let ourselves come to this. Talk of recalls with no action. Talk of petitions with no results. More houses, more schools, more drug stores, more misdeeds by the City leaders.

So sad.

So sad that WE have let OURSELVES come to this. We can only blame ourselves.

There is still hope. Believe me!

Dear So Sad,


I do want to make you aware that the Pickerington City Council did authorize, the City Clerk, Linda Yartin to take the Pickerington City Charter amendment initiative petition that I submitted on August 1st down to the Board of Elections. I am confident that she will have no problems finding at least 289 valid signatures.

Now the question is will the Council act on this initiative. The council will only have two council meetings to place the issue on this November?’s Ballot. If they don?’t act quickly they will be required to pay for a special election.

This new City Charter amendment with not allow any zoning ordinance or resolution to be passed as an emergency. If the voters approve this amendment then the voters will have the right to run referendums on any of the new zoning ordinances and resolutions. That will be an improvement over what has happened the last two years when they annexed and rezoned the Diley Farm Emergency (520 Homes) the Painter Kohler farm Emergency (320 Homes). In addition they have regularly passed other annexations/ rezonings as emergency. There are nearly 5000 new building lots available in Pickerington. They could be built on in the next year because Pickerington neglected to place any controls on the rate of these new builds.

You are right we have failed legally to get our petitions on the ballot. They are deliberately are trying to wear guys like you out. You must stay positive and push forward. The city government has lost a lot of its political capital by supporting these builders. They have even hired a consultant to advise them on how to better their image with the voting public. If they continue to play their petty games and promote the residential developers they will ose even more capital. Time is running out on them. I am in the phone book if you are volunteering to help us with our cause.

We will continue to push them into listening to the voters. So far they don?’t feel threatened by being voted out of office. Until they do we continue the vigil.