Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

I think it is important to look at all of the data now being distributed by the different City Council Candidates.

The TOGETHER 4 PICKERINGTON group all seem to acknowledge that residential growth is the number one issue facing the voters. They as candidates were present at the November 1st council work session and listened to the experts on growth. Those missing were Jeff Fix and Cristie Hammond.


Mrs. Hammond does show concern for the seniors in our community in trying to flatten out the taxes. The root of the ever increasing tax burden is the lack of growth controls on those developments that drive our community costs for community services upward.

The council work session on November 1st did address the causes of the imbalance in our current and future land development and this was spelled very well in the article in the This Week. Judging by Mrs. Hammond?’s campaign material and her alliance with the other three slow growth candidates she also recognizes the need to work as a group to solve these issues.

On the other hand, Mr. Fix is a self professed ?“independent thinker?” and that is the same catch phase that Mr. Sabatino describes himself and Bill Wright. Mr. Fix does recognize that uncontrolled residential growth is a root problem. However why does he ignore the plan currently being promoted by the current council majority that was developed by experts in their field. Mr. Fix claims to have his own plan. What is his plan or is this political rhetoric? Is he trying to promote something he knows nothing about? He claims to have experience yet he has never been elected to any public office. Just being a parrot and repeating words from the community doesn?’t make you qualified to serve on anything. Being an advocate for a council project only shows your willingness to speak out no matter whether you understand the facts or not.

Clearly Mr. Fix has aligned himself with the Mayor (who has no vote) and the council president Heidi Riggs (who has one vote). He apparently has been rejected by the other three votes on council and sitting council members. I do understand that he is disliked by most of the other candidates and he will have very little impact on any future council (this includes Bill Wright and Mike Sabatino). So if elected, how does Mr. Fix implement his plans? The council president is also working with the Together 4 Pickerington team. So no matter who is elected next week Mr. Fix might be able to muster two votes for his ideas and his plan.

Clearly Mr. Fix has divided not only the Pickerington City Council and the Mayor but he has left the Republican Club of North West Fairfield County in disarray under his leadership.

Just how effective will Mr. Fix be in office?

Then there are the two other independent thinkers. Mr. Wright and Mr. Sabatino and both refuse to acknowledge that residential growth is our number issue.

After ten years on council Mr. Wright has gone along with the sitting Mayor at the time and we find he was instrumental in approving the over 2000 building lots that could not be overturned by the Ohio Supreme court. His actions will have a long lasting effect on our school system.

Clearly Mr. Sabatino has not the time or the will to read anything on controlling the growth and will be a continuing failure on council if elected.

Nice try Ted

There are other people that see this race differently.

Mitch has picked who he wants on Council (I thought voters did that) and refuses to recognize anyone else's efforts. Is that a control problem? The fact that this has split the council demonstrates an inability to build consensus unless you are one of Mitch's chosen three. Maybe the council is looking for people that won't challenge anything they do? It sounds like Jeff Fix is intimidating to Mitch and his friends.

From your posting it sounds like the sitting council should decide who runs & who is elected - with the exception of Heidi & David. David, I believe stood up & started the movement these candidates are pledging to continue. I won't be so quick to discount him when I enter the voting booth. I've also received every candidates literature & Jeff Fix also states he believe low taxes are important - you conveniently left that off.

People should understand there are 5 decent candidates running for 4 seats - it's like a horse race may the best ones win or maybe it will be the hardest working ones.

Remember in a democracy voters choose who they want to serve them. I see an arrogance from this council that disappoints me - they need to run the best campaigns they can and let the chips fall where they may. Portraying themselves as the only decent options for Pickerington is getting old.

Will he be effective on Council?

The question you failed to answer is will Jeff Fix be effective on Pickerington City Council? If your answer is yes then how will he become effective after he has alienated those that will now serve with him no matter who else is elected?

Remember the Lancaster and Violet Township Republicans will not have a vote on this council. Their interest will be secondary with the new majority.

If you look at his campaign post card and what he listed as his experience it is nothing more than tagging along behind someone else and then to claim the glory for the idea or project. Jeff Fix is not an original thinker. He did not create the PATA newsletter like he said he did and every other listed experience is an embellishment.

One character trait of Mr. Fix has been to promise much more than he can deliver. He is doing that in this campaign.

The growth plan in our future will not be a Jeff Fix plan but the council's plan. The base work has been completed without any input from Mr. Fix. That work will continue into 2006 with or without Jeff Fix.

Being on City Council is not a group of seven big shots. It is a group of people working together to form a consensus and to agree on a common solution. It is not making Jeff Fix KING and ruler of the universe.

I have talked with Mitch O'Brien and he regularly puts in 30 to 40 hours per week studying the reports and moving the city forward. His questions and his dedication to the City is not matched by anyone else on council. Then Mr. Fix questions Mr. O'Brien's ethics and his compliance to his oath of office and now he wants to be forgiven for his comments. The problem with that is his comments are recorded in the minutes for eternity.

I am sure if Mr. Fix is elected he will support controlling the growth in the city. He will support new commercial growth.

Will he be respected? Probably not.

Will he put in the require time to be effective? Probably not.

In politics your sphere of influence and friends should be always expanding. Mr. Fix's group is shrinking.



By Campaign Worker