Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

As a Violet Township resident, I remain perplexed at the apparent settlement of the 362-acre north annexation. It looks like another victory by the city and a stick in the eye to the township. But, oh well, we've been kicked around by the city for 15 years, what's another 362 acres?
It appears the township will be responsible for maintaining the roads in this area for a little bit of millage. This is a loser.
Have the Township trustees let the Spring Creek residents know they will be paying income tax to the city. Has Dominion? I doubt it.
What about the reported JEDD? The township can do a JEDD, TIF or other economic development district on their own. However, teh cash strapped city needs the revenue badly. And what does the township get in return? Some sort of promise of no further annexation by city officials who ran on a no further annexation platform.
And what those city pre-anexation agreements? Will the township have to share the cost of defending the city?
Why not let the courts decide? It's almost run its legal course.
The township needs to realize that city residents are fed up with spending money on lawsuits while city services suffer.
If the agreement gets approved, it proves one thing. The city plays poker much better than the Township Trustees do.




By Average Jane

City Residents will lose a lot.

According to figures compiled at the time of the annexation of the ''Northern'' annexation, the City will be losing at least $1,467,251 in sewer/water capacity fees, storm water fees, park fees, road construction fees, etc. That does not include the fact that re-zonings were guaranteed in the pre-annexation agreements.

but

won't the city be avioiding some sort of expense for maintenance, upkeep, cost of services? in a ''perfect world'' isn't a zero sum gain/loss after it's all said and done?

Not the whole story

What about the debt service on the sewer and water plants? The City has tremendous debts on the sewer facilities because of all the sewer lines installed to service the apartments and condos on Refugee Road. Maintenance of roads will not pay those bills. Any monies received from JEDD's cannot be used for that debt at this time.