Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Below is a number of postings that is starting the rumor that I am running for Violet Township Trustee.

Let me assure everyone that I am fully committed to finishing my term on the Pickerington City Council. As many folks in the community know I have been a advocate of controlling our community's residential growth. I have not given up on that issue and in fact we are on there verge of presenting the growth studies to Service very soon. I am looking forward to the creation of a growth management plan and the development of growth strategies. This plan will take a couple to years to fully implement.

To date we have accomplished the following:

1. Delayed the expansion of the Pickerington Waste Water Plant.

2. Trying to pass a debt policy through Council (it is on the second reading) which addresses TIF financing which has been a long term problem with commercial development here in Pickerington for a number of years.

3. We are working of a binding 208 plan with the Ohio EPA which will lock in our sewer districts hopefully eliminating future sewer wars where one sewer providers races to beat the other for new residential development.

4. We have entered into a JEDD memo of understanding to adopt a JEDD with Violet Township for future economic growth in the community. There are other aggreements in the works as well.

5. We are very close to bringing to City Council an ordinance that will impose impact fees for city infrastructure needs as a result of new growth in the community. This will hopefully be in front of council on July 19th. This ordinance could lead the way of future cooperation with the schools and the township in providing impact fees for the schools and the township.

I strongly support HB 299 which may get a vote in early 2006. This bill will ease some of the fears of legal challenge expressed by the trustees.

6. I will continue to fight to get a Pickerington City Charter amendment on the ballot that will prohibit passing zoning and annexation law by emergency. This is a loop hole in our charter that must be closed.

7. Finally after all of the above we can reach my 6 or 7 year old goal of a growth management plan for Pickerington. That plan will consist of 12 to 15 recommendations to improve our current zoning and administrative processes in the Pickerington City government. I fully expect this to take over two years to fully implement. One of those 12 or 15 action items will be the possiblity of growth rate caps.

I AM FULLY COMMITTED TO THE CITY OF PICKERINGTON AND I HAVE NO DESIRES TO MOVE ON TO ANY OTHER OFFICE, EVER!!!!

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT.

Thanks Ted

Thanks Ted for what you have done. You have stayed the course and delivered on your campaign promises. Or you are ready to deliver. We understand that changes in the city run at the pace of molasses in January because of your slim margin of majority.

I echo Bruce Rigelman's sentiments below on getting the candidates out there. It is not too early but soon it can be too late. Remember what you're up against. You are up against three well-fed and well-financed candidates. The BIA themselves called Parker, Wright and Sabatino part of a pro-growth council. Don't think that the BIA minions won't kick money into their campaigns and a lot of it.

Money will not win this race. Truth, hard work and ethics will triumph like they did last time. I know of two candidates who have these qualities. We need to support them and seek out two more. A third announced candidate is not worth the paper his foxy literature was printed on but he may, I repeat may be better than the three stooges we have now. I hope that our choices this November are not reduced to choosing the better of evils.

Ted, you obviously have mentored some junior members of council well and we trust that you will soon outline the candidates you feel can continue the progress with you.

One last thing - Heidi Riggs is a wild card in this mix (or fix). Has anyone spoken to her to see where she stands on candidate support? I am curious. Other than all the fluffy sound bytes she has in the paper, I have not been able to recognize her as a leader. Is she simply a follower? Who is she and who does she support?

Brian W - same to you. Where are you on this November's elections? Not to try to minimize the victories in '03, but it is time to not look back and start looking forward. This upcoming election may have further reaching ramifications than the last. The majority, slim as it is, can be lost.

By Grouchy Old Fart

Go GOF!

I share GOF's sentiments right down the line. Ted and his ''vote 4 change'' colleagues, and our new mayor, have done a superb job. They have gotten a good strong start at everything they promised to do. Ted needs to stay where he is, so that he can finish the job.

But he needs help. Once again, where are our candidates? We need eight of them this time, three each for City Council and School Board, and two more for the Board of Trustees. We have the opportunity here to build a truly great community, but we need eight new leaders. It's time to step forward, folks!!

Stance

GOF, if you think I or Heidi are wild cards in any way then I suggest you review the past 1.5 yrs of our voting records and see where we stand on issues.

Unless your head has been in the sand it's pretty hard to miss there's a 4-3 split on council on the majority of serious issues. And a 6-0-1 vote on meeting minutes and other criticial issues where abstention is necessary! :-)

Would I have gone through the last 1.5 yrs without being fully committed to getting like-minded individuals on council in November? I'm not looking for yes-men/women but someone that doesn't at every turn try to stab me in the back and shares my desire for managed growth.

I've been trying to get people to run for council but there are far, far more people who are willing to talk about the issues facing the city, schools and the area vs those willing to try and do something about it. Having gone through what I have since being on council I can hardly blame anyone for feeling that way.

I also don't believe the rumors about Jeff Fix and his supposed ties to the old regime. He would be a fool to run on a platform of managed growth and then change his stance once in office, especially if the rumors about his desire to run for higher office are at all to be believed.

Jeff was one of the VERY FEW supporters who came out during the Diley Road issues and spoke on our behalf.

I will be supporting Mitch during this coming election as well as throwing my support behind Jeff. I will also support the others who choose to put their names on the line to challenge the old ways of this city that are slowing disappearing.

You're correct. Money isn't going to win this election. It didn't win the last one and it won't this one but it is something that has to be contended with and something that only hard work will overcome.

If you would like to, please call me and we can discuss it more. 975.2905

- Brian