I don’t know how to say this graciously but
everybody who lives in New Philadelphia is going to be hit with another
property tax. This one is for a new
fire station. It sounds like a good
deal, especially if you listen to the fire chief, mayor, safety director, the
majority of city council, and the rest of the ignorant people who are willing
to toss your tax money down a rat hole.
Consider this. Jim Parish, the New Philadelphia Fire Chief,
wants a new fire station. The old one,
according to Parish, is on its last legs, about to fall into its own
basement. The solution is to build a
new one. Unfortunately, there isn’t
enough money to make the repairs needed to fix the present fire station, it has
been getting worse over the years, evidently because nobody cared enough to do
the routine maintenance necessary to keep the building in useable
condition. Oh, yeah, there is also the
new fire truck which was purchased a few years ago whose weight is putting more
strain of the floor, bending the steel beams, says the fire chief.
And then, the argument goes, the
City did buy some property on Front Street because, well, it was for sale and
what the heck, well, it was for sale.
There were no plans on what to do with it, but, well, it was for sale.
What we need, it has been decided,
is a new fire station, and since we have the property already, let’s build
one. But, we need the money, five
million dollars to be inexact. You see,
this is a guess. Nobody knows what the
cost is going to be. There have been no
plans considered. That’s right, no
plans. No architect’s drawings, no
engineering studies. No builder’s bids,
not even an estimate. Nobody, nobody
knows what the cost of a new fire station will be. The only thing we really know about it is the administration
wants it, majority of city council is willing to give them the money, which the
City doesn’t have, to build it.
To get the money, city council
wants to put a one-mil levy on the November ballot. Tonight, July 13, at 7:30, City Council will consider a resolution
to do just that, put a 25-year, five million (5,000,000) dollar bond levy on
the November ballot. With interest
added on, the levy will cost the City eight million (8,000,000) dollars over
the 25-year life of the bond. That will
add three hundred eighteen thousand (318,000) dollars to City expenses over
each of the 25 years.
So who is going to pay that
bill? The residents and business owners
in New Philadelphia. If you own a home
or other property here, rent property
here, have a business here, you will pick up the bill for this tax
increase.
And, if this levy passes, the tax
increase will be added on to this year’s real estate taxes (2015) which will
come due in 2016.
So tonight, starting at 7:30, City
Council will debate adding a five million dollar debt to the New Philadelphia
budget for 25 years, to pay for a project not yet approved, not yet defined,
not yet understood, one without even an estimate of what the actual cost will
be.
This is a prime example of what an
uncontrolled, incompetent, irresponsible government body can, and will, do, if
the public does not get involved. If
you can, show up tonight in City Council chambers and present your opinion on this issue. At the very least call your Councilmen, and women, and let them
know of your opposition to this madness.
If you do not get involved the
madness will continue and you, as a New Philadelphia citizen, will be the one
to suffer.
New Philadelphia Contact Numbers
Dave Johnson 330-364-4844 Mayor
Sam Hitchcock 330-340-7910 Council
President
Cheryl Ramos 330-364-7695 Ward
1 Councilman
John Zucal 330-340-6314 Ward 2
Councilman
Daren Lautenshleger 330-364-2317 Ward 3
Councilman
Rob Maurer 330-340-0658 Ward
4 Councilman
Sandy Cox 330-364-6469 Councilman
at Large
Dan Lanzer 330-447-2883 Councilman
at Large
Winnie Walker 330-339-6910 Councilman
at Large
Get involved, make the calls. And when you do call, remember that there are six people you
should speak with: the mayor, council
president, your ward councilman, and the three Councilmen at Large.
