Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

First let me say I am very disappointed in Gail Oakes and her ''defending'' the board's action in regard to passing the first step in putting a $52 million bond issue on the November ballot. Clearly the action last week by the school board doesn't place the issue on the ballot but it does determine the amount of millage required to finance these new capital improvements without any public input. Of all the complaints I have heard from Gail and this web site on back room deals and holding meetings out of the sunshine I am appaud that Gail would allow this kind of action to take place on her watch.

Kudos to Jim Brink for being the only one to see through the darkness and vote against the measure and to point out that this wasn't on the agenda and it was only a working session.


Public not notified of vote on bond issue
Pickerington board alone as it takes first step toward fall ballot
Thursday, July 29, 2004
Michael J . Maurer and Mackenzie Fry
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS

Without prior notice and without any member of the public in attendance, the Pickerington school board voted 4-1 last week to pursue a $52 million bond issue on the November ballot.
But an expert on Ohio?’s public-meetings laws questioned whether the vote was legal because the public was not told a bond issue would be on the agenda of the meeting, which had been billed as a work session.
''If it is a special meeting, you are to be confined to the time, place and purpose of the meeting,'' said Thomas Hodson, director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. ''If they took action improperly, a court could find that the action was invalid.''
If passed, the bond issue would allow the district to build two schools ?— an elementary school and a middle school ?— and build additions to four existing elementary schools. The issue is almost twice the size of a November 2002 request, which 64 percent of district voters rejected.
The tax request would be placed on the ballot if the board makes a second vote before the Aug. 19 filing deadline. The board could schedule another special session or take action at its Aug. 9 meeting.
The agenda for the July 20 work session said it would be held mostly in private to discuss contract negotiations and personnel matters. No members of the public attended the meeting, which included the five board members, Superintendent Robert Thiede and Treasurer Vince Utterback.
Board President Gail Oakes defended the vote, saying the district had to get the process started to meet deadlines for the fall ballot.
''It?’s no secret in the community that the possibility of a bond issue exists,'' Oakes said. ''It was an open meeting, it was publicized, no one was prevented from coming.''
But Jim Brink, who voted against taking action at the special session, told other board members then that he thought it was a bad idea.
On the tape of the special session reviewed by ThisWeek, Brink said he discouraged action ''because it was advertised as a workshop. It wasn?’t in the agenda, and there were only the seven of us here.''
Oakes said that further board action was necessary to place the bond issue on the ballot and that the board had not promised it wouldn?’t take action to do so.
That explanation didn?’t satisfy district parent Steve Hesch, who has been active in the campaign to slow growth in the Pickerington area.
''They obviously wanted to do this behind closed doors, and it obviously worked,'' Hesch said yesterday. ''Had I known, I might have attended.''
The Pickerington district has added about 300 students a year for the past decade. The 8,000-student district opened a new high school in August.
Voters have defeated three of the past four Pickerington schools tax requests, including two operating levies and the November 2002 bond issue.


By Dr. Pepper

Board Actions Cont.

Oakes said the bond proposal is larger than the $27 million one sought two years ago because the district now has a better plan for its long-term needs. The 2002 issue would have built two elementary schools.
Administration and board members indicate some concern on the tape of the special session about when and how to bring the bond issue to the voters?’ attention.
As the special session opened, board member Lisa Reade is heard on the tape suggesting that the agenda be amended to include discussion of the bond issue, but Thiede said it was already there.
It was listed on the agenda as ''Planning for the district?’s future with OSFC'' ?— the Ohio School Facilities Commission, which provides state funds and oversight to local school projects.
Two Pickerington board members have been working since May on a plan that would win the facilities commission?’s approval, Thiede said yesterday. Pickerington is not atop the commission?’s priority list for funding, but it could receive state money eventually.
Dispatch assistant city editor Rob Messinger contributed to this story. mmaurer@thisweeknews.com
mfry@thisweeknews.com
mkossler@dispatch.com





By Dr. Pepper

Not again!

Doc,

I agree with you in being appalled. I personally campaigned for changes in the school board last fall and am disappointed in the results. While I might not have the greatest memory, I seen to recall that this is not the first time this has happened. Now the credibility of the entire board is in question as they continued with the meeting after numerous remarks were made that should have ended it immediately.

If the board is not credible, how can their requests for yet another levy be deemed credible? With their reprehensible actions, they may have doomed this levy attempt. Who will suffer? Our kids of course.

I don?’t think a single person at that meeting can be solely held accountable. The error and the blame is shared by all. The consequenses should also be shared by all. Casting a vote against the proposal does not exonerate you from not having gotten up and left the meeting if you knew what you were doing was wrong.


By Disappointed (again)

Dumb and Dumber

This seems to be a case of dumber and Dumberer and add the ers times to seven. They certainly had the right to talk about the bond issue but they needed to have scheduled a vote at a regular session.

The sad part here is that they have been talking in the back room for months now about the need for two new schools. I have heard that for more than one person. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to determine a couple of new schools are needed. Didn't we add 586 new students last year alone? Probably that many coming again this October.

This bad publicity may very well doom any chance of it passing. Those that want and need an excuse to vote against a levy will pick up on this in a heartbeat.

The press plays a very important role in our society. They are charged with reporting the news and for those of us that can't or won't attend government meetings the press must report objectively to the citizens the outcome of these meetings. Having a bad relationship with the press is not a good thing no matter how damn good the PIO is. These reporters make their living reporting on government and other activities. Once these boards and councils exclude the press they are affecting the livelihood of these reporters. Those that hold any public office must always keep in perspective the role of the press.

Give them straight and honest answers. When things are unsure or they have not been fully decided in your mind simply ask that your comments be off the record. I believe the press will honor that. Clearly they will honor it from a office holder that may provide stories later. They know where their gravy train is coming from.

Another helpful hint Gail. Pick out a reporter and slip him or her a scoop once in a while. Don't always pick the same reporter.