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I want to commend our current City Council's efforts to work with the county and adjoining municipalities to end the ''sewer wars.'' Just as I want to commend their efforts to impose sensible impact fees on new homes, to encourage commercial development, to initiate systematic long range planning, and to manage residential and commercial growth with the long range interests of this entire community at heart.
After so many years of venal and self-interested leaders, who seemed willing to sell us all out to landowners, developers and builders, it is gratifying to have leaders who think of the good of the whole community, who are concerned with our environment, who recognize that building a great community requires regional cooperation, and who look to the future in setting our goals and policies.
Although I am a committed life long Democrat, and these folks are committed Republicans, good government transcends party lines. These are people and policies that we all can, and should, support. Hopefully we will all have the opportunity to join together this November to clean out those City Council holdovers from the corrupt old order who have failed to get the message that the old days are over.
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Building a new future Picktown
I understand there is a war going on behind the scenes of this new found leadership here in Pickerington. Clearly we have seen more than one ''City Director'' leave over the last few months. Did these ''Directors'' seek new jobs because they were not happy with their position or were they encouraged to leave because they couldn't seem to carry out the new policies demanded by the new Mayor and The Council? Or was this simply a matter that they could not transgress from working for a micro manager to a delegator?
No matter how one looks at this, there is the promised change happening here in the Pickerington City Hall.
For those that only read the paper and are not in tune with all of the pieces of the puzzle that are beginning to be snapped into place I think this 208 plan could be considered one of those corner pieces that you begin to connect the rest of the puzzle to. Although there may be denial from some former City Directors we do have duplicate sewer lines running along many of our community streets that should have never been allowed under a well thought out 208 plan. The former un-agreed to 208 plan only set it up for the developers to play the county and the city against each one other costing the local sewer users money. A legal binding agreement will prevent this in the future.
I think we will soon see the City water and sewer tap fees fall into line with what it the actually costs are for providing these builders the water and sewer service they need to build these new homes. In addition to that the conversion of the water and sewer debt to revenue bonds next year will replace the pyramid scheme of financing that was used by the past city administrations.
Just last week, the City past a new debt policy and in that policy will be reforms for how the city enters into these Tax Incremental Financing (TIFs) schemes as well. The developers ''WILL'' guarantee these TIFs bonds over the objections of Bill Wright. This will place the risks back on the developer who stands to make the profit in the end. No more of this standing before council with big ideas and big promises only to have the city pay millions when the developer doesn't deliver on his promises. Now if he doesn't deliver he pays not the City's General Fund.
Now link this back to the effort initially made last year by the New Mayor and the New Council to first kill the huge sewer plant expansion ($11 Million Debt) and then their application to the Ohio EPA to get the sewer plant re-rated to allow the city to process an additional 400,000 gallons per day(1200 homes). This will allow the city to pay DOWN their current capital debt on their sewer plant before taking on more debt for any future sewer plant expansion. Reducing the utilities debt also reduces the pressure on the city to sell tap fees to make that debt service payment.
Hopefully the city will continue to report to the citizens in these local newspapers columns the progress they are making in responsible growth policies. I understand many of the plans about to be introduced to the council will take up to four or five years to implement. I think if the citizens of this community are happy with this change then they must support the current council and those candidates this fall that want to continue these polices. The longer the current city hall leaders stay there the harder it will be in the future to turn this city back to the developers.
By Marching along
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Evil still lurks out there!
One of the dangers we as a community and a county are facing is complacency. Some; I believe think the forces of good have won our local battles with the builders and they can go back to minding their own business now.
WRONG!!!!
Those forces that put us into this mess are still out there and they are still trying to make inroads to regain control.
Let me first start with Former Councilman Brian Fox. Brian spent eight years on the Pickerington City Council. What did he do?
NOTHING!!!
His role in all of this was to play the ''NICE YOUNG MAN FROM PICKERINGTON''. The boy next door so to speak.
In 2000 primary, we had a Fairfield County Sheriff named Gary DeMastry. DeMastry had a very checkered past to say the least. Despite that Brian Fox strongly supported DeMastry. Despite the fact the state had filed 330 FELONY charges against the former Sheriff and now the incarcerated Sheriff, Brian still circulated his nominating petitions to get him on the primary ballot and even today Brian has a DeMastry campaign yard sign hanging in his garage. How many of you know convicted felons? Once you found out did you continue to allow your family and children to associate with them?
Do we really want to support so called leaders in our community that also associate with CONVICTED CRIMINALS?
I don't!!
Now let us bring character number two; former ''seasoned'' (as quoted by Brian Fox in appointing Maxey back on council after he had lost in 2001 to David Shaver)Councilman and partner Craig Maxey. Clearly associating with criminals in not a problem with either Brian or Craig. Two weeks before Judge McAuliffe was indicted on arson charges our infamous two posed with the Judge and their photo appeared in the local Times-Sun as promoting the newest member of the Pickerington Lions Club in 2003 JUDGE MCAULIFFE (ARSON). At the same time, Brian Fox, was the Chairman of the Fairfield County Republican Party. Unfortunately Brian was the ONLY person in the entire county that didn't know the Judge was a crook.
When the county administrator Pat Harris tried to mount a campaign to challenge Judge McAuliffe for his seat on the Municipal Court of Fairfield County Brian tried to pressure Judge Harris to drop out of the race. The only support Judge Harris received at that point was from the Republican Club of NW Fairfield County and they endorsed Harris on the spot.
Here again the Lee Gray school of politics was at play. They were going to support McAuliffe until he was indicted then they would HAND PICK their TOADIE judge that would give their drug dealers a free pass in Municipal Court in Lancaster. The voters didn't matter folks.
Ok now we see that Judge McAuliffe was convicted in Federal Court on seven counts as I recall. He was sentenced to 17 years the Federal Pen and is now serving in Arizona I believe. Who sat in attendance at the Judge's trial the entire time? Non other than Former Councilman Craig Maxey. Now we learn that Mr. Maxey also has the Judge's power of attorney. He is negotiating with he city on right of way for Diley Road. Guess who now has his own business here in Pickerington?
CRAIG MAXEY!!!
He owns a mass mailing business that I am sure will help the ''Advocates for Growth'' this fall in ''at cost'' mailers for his hand selected candidates (Parker, Wright and MICHAEL SABATINO). Plus one other candidate to be named later.
By Watch Dog
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Evil
Now lets look at the McAuliffe trial and remind everyone who testified. Lee Gray (former Mayor or sometimes called the boy mayor) picked the Judge up at the Airport from his alibi trip to Pine Hurst N.C. golf course the week the Judge's house burnt down.
HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!
Then there in the current councilman Doug Parker. He testified that he accompanied the Judge on his trip to N.C. Isn't this golf course one of the premier golf course in the USA? Wasn't the U.S.Open played there recently? How does a councilman on $600 per month afford a trip like that? How does a snack vendor afford a trip like that? Here is a guy that drives around in a beat up van and lives above a craft shop (supposedly) in downtown Pickerington yet he can afford Pinehurst.
Then poor old Lou Postage testified that he sold the Judge an inflated insurance policy on a house that was falling down. Somehow his office sent out that policy to the Insurance company ''BY MISTAKE'' and within thirty days the Judge's house burns down. Normally a agent can write a policy and the company well accept it contingent upon a full appraisal by the company. Now who would know of those details and if they burnt the house down before Grange could get their appraiser out there then Grange would be obligated to pay the Judges claim unless they could prove arson.
When Judge McAuliffe was being sentenced he tried to present mitigating circumstances in trying to get a reduced sentence. First let me remind everyone that when Judge McAuliffe was arrested they found a hand gun in the court room. They also had the Judge on tape threatening to KILL the witnesses. The Judge was not the boy next door nor did he become a criminal at the seasoned age of 56. That criminal mind developed long ago here in Pickerington.
It is reported that the judge trying for the reduced sentence told the real judge at his trial that he was high on marijuana the entire time he was a Municipal Judge. Now who sold him the Judge Marijuana? Was it coming from the Former Sheriff DeMastry's stash? Oh I forgot! There are reports that Gary had a little problem with weed addiction. To save the taxpayers money he would take the marijuana evidence home to destroy and to burn. We can all rest assured that Gary Didn't smoke ANY of this evidence.
RIGHT!!!!
I believe this evidence was ordered destroyed by the Court so he really wasn't doing anything wrong was he? Oh now who would have ordered that? That's right McAuliffe!! Where's McAuliffe and what has he admitted to in court?
In November 2003 the Pickerington NW Republicans sweep into office after these scandals broke so you have cleaned up the mess with new leaders in office.
WRONG!!!!
By Watch Dog
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