True Buzz: March 2006 Archives

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March 30, 2006

March 27 Mariemont Council briefs

The council of the village of Mariemont convened at 7:30 p.m. March 27, at the administration building. Here are the highlights of that meeting.

Ballot issue slated for November
As was mentioned in the March 12 council briefs, there is an issue that everyone in the village may want to vote on, whether they like to vote or not. The issue is call the Tax Expenditure and Limitation Ballot, or TEL. The purpose is to amend the state constitution that will limit the ability of the legislature to increase state spending.

Again, village council discussed the issue. Councilman Bill Ebelhar said this proposed legislation greatly concerns council. “This is something we must stay on top of because it would be disastrous for the Village.”

Councilman Doug Adams agreed, saying it would greatly limit the villager’s ability to do certain functions. “We need to make sure our residents are informed so they will know what they are voting for.”

Ebelhar suggested the information be included in the next Mayor’s Bulletin and that council should write a letter to the Municipal League and thank them for keeping everyone posted.

“This is a disaster waiting to happen,” he said.

Mayor Dan Policastro asked if we should write a letter to Secretary of State Ken Blackwell and Solicitor McTigue suggested everyone write to our Congressman. Ebelhar said we should send a letter to Ohio Representative Michelle Schneider and Senator Robert Schuler and copy those letters to Mr. Blackwell.

The TEL issue is complicated. The following information is taken from the Citizens of Tax Reform Web site http://www.repealthetax.com/

It is encouraged that residents research the information to get a better grasp of the issues.

From http://www.repealthetax.com/
Citizens for Tax Reform’s Tax Expenditure Limitation (TEL) Amendment limits state and local government annual spending growth to 3.5 per cent or the sum of the rate of inflation plus population growth. Any year-end unspent revenue over 10 per cent of the budget is to be refunded to taxpayers. Local governments receive a guaranteed five per cent of the previous fiscal year’s aggregate state expenditures, and unfunded mandates are forbidden. The Attorney General has approved petition language and circulation has begun. Citizens for Tax Reform will collect the necessary 322,899 signatures by the state mandated August 10 deadline to qualify for the November 8 ballot.

Q. Why does Ohio need a TEL?
A. Ohio state government spending is growing at an unsustainable rate, 71 per cent since 1994. This rate of spending growth drives jobs out of Ohio and saddles remaining taxpayers with unreasonably high burdens.

Q. How many other states have TELs?
A. Twenty-six states have either tax or spending limitations. New Jersey passed the first TEL in 1976, and Ronald Reagan helped promote Prop 13 in California in 1978.

Q. Colorado has a TEL and some say their state government has been hamstrung in their efforts to adjust to a changing economy. Won’t this cause the same problems for Ohio?
A. Colorado’s situation is different because their amendment requires approval of all tax increases (not spending increases) and was later amended to allow accelerated K-12 education spending. Ohio’s amendment only limits what is spent, not how it is raised, and contains a ‘poison pill’ that voids the spending limit if other amendments authorizing higher spending are passed.

Q. Why change the Constitution to do this?
A. Putting this in the Constitution puts an institutional wall in place against increased taxes and spending. John Hancock said, “Constitutions are not restrictions by government upon the people, constitutions are restrictions by the people upon the government.”

Q. What is notable in Citizens for Tax Reform’s latest petition language?
A. 1) This petition language allows state spending to increase 3.5 per cent or the sum of the rate of inflation plus the increase in population, whichever is higher.
2) Local governments receive a guaranteed baseline spending level of five per cent of state revenues and state government is forbidden from placing duties on local government without providing the revenue to perform them (no unfunded mandates).
3) A simple legislative majority can authorize a statewide referendum on higher spending.

Q. If this TEL was in place two years ago, how would it have changed Ohio’s budget?
A. State spending went up 11 per cent in the FY04-05 budget. If the TEL was in place the most state spending could have increased was seven per cent - a savings of nearly $2 billion in general fund dollars alone.

Relevant Economic Facts:
- According to the Federal Reserve Bank, the U.S. inflation rate was 2.2 per cent in 2003 and 3.0 per cent in 2004.
- The U.S. Census Bureau estimates Ohio’s population grew:
22,536 to 11,410,396 by July 1, 2002 from 11,387,860 on July 1, 2001 = .20 per cent
27,284 to 11,437,680 by July 1, 2003 for an increase of .24 per cent
21,331 to 11,459,011 by July 1, 2004 for an increase of .19 per cent

2006 street projects
The Public Works and Service Committee met on March 23, 2006, and in consultation with Village Engineer Chris Ertel, recommended certain street repairs for 2006.

There are some streets in the village in poor condition. For example, a lane from Bank Place to West Street will be fixed, costing the village $16,320; the problems from Rembold Avenue from Pocahontas Avenue to Petoskey Avenue will cost $9,310.

Streets in fair condition but still need maintenance include Cachepit Way from Miami Bluff Drive to Mt. Vernon Avenue; Grove Avenue from Murray Avenue to Cambridge Avenue; Mt. Vernon Avenue from Flintpoint Way to Miami Road; Pleasant Street from Mariemont Avenue to Wooster Pike; and West Street from Miami Road to Fieldhouse Way. Total cost for those streets’ will be $71,580.

Additional road projects include the Mercy St. Teresa parking lot ($12,500), Murray Avenue parking pads ($7,500) and the Gravel Walkway/Murray Avenue renovations ($6,000).

The budget for 2006 is $165,000.00. The committee strongly suggested the Mariemont Maintenance Department make patch repairs to the east end of Wooster Pike and to the west end of Wooster Pike, when the Metropolitan Sewer District work is complete.

Adams asked if this would address the Wooster Pike issue enough to make it serviceable. Village Engineer Chris Ertel said Wooster Pike will be repaved by the State of Ohio in April of next year. That is why he could not recommend the Village resurface it now.

Councilman Rex Bevis said the committee was really handicapped this year because of Wooster Pike. “It is a mess,” he said, “but Mr. Ertel has assured the committee that it will be done by the State next year.”

Councilwoman Schmit said another consideration was that Cinergy is doing a gas main replacement. They will be working on 30 to 40 percent of the village’s streets and tearing them up. An example is the work they just completed on Settle Road. It would be of no benefit to repave these streets, knowing that Cinergy would be coming in and tearing them up.

Council wants the repairs to commence as soon as possible

Upcoming events

The Village-Wide Safety Meeting will be held May 18 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the auditorium of Mariemont Elementary

Taste of Mariemont will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, May 2.

Posted by johnston at 09:52 AM

March 17, 2006

ICRC speaks of future changes

The following is a continuation of the council briefs from the March 12 meeting.

Pat Stern, Executive Director of the Intercommunity Cable Regulatory Commission (ICRC), addressed Council and explained that the role of ICRC is to address the complaints of cable customers, help communities regulate the cost of the basic tier of cable service and the cost of equipment and installation, to attend school and community events, and to monitor legislation regarding cable service on the state and federal level.

Stern said the Bell Operating Companies want to get into the cable television business and are lobbying state governments, already proving successful in Texas and Indiana.

Now they are heavily lobbying Congress and, as of last week, were successful and there has been a draft agreement for ICRC to go to national franchising. Right now, communities have the ability to enter into a contract with companies like Time Warner Cable. Federal franchising would take that ability away and take it out of the community's hands.

The ICRC filed an FCC filing on behalf of all communities so that local communities don’t lose the aspect of local franchising.

"If ICRC loses the ability to have local control, and a cable provider tears up your street putting in new lines, you might have to wait for federal assistance to repair the streets," Stern said. " In this community, trees are very important and you have provisions in your local contract for your trees. With federal franchising, you may not have that. It may be that local franchises might be grandfathered."

The contract with Time Warner expires in 2009. If ICRC sees that the national franchise has any grandfather clause, the ICRC might come to the village and advise to extend the franchise to take advantage of the grandfather clause.

Councilmember Bill Ebelhar asked if the ICRC only controls the basic tier and not other program tiers. Stern said that they can regulate basic tier and equipment costs, but cannot regulate HBO or other digital tiers. She said they can monitor Time Warner to make sure they are meeting guidelines. They audit the cable companies about every ten years.

Councilmember Rex Bevis said he had heard there might be opportunities with the cable companies to be able to pick and choose which channels you want. Stern said it is called a la carte programming and there is legislation pending that would offer that kind of programming. Bevis asked if that is something the federal franchising might bring to the village, Stern said that is a possibility but it is important to make sure local communities have some control.

One good thing about the state franchising is that it would bring competition. Bevis asked if there might be a situation then where you would have two or more providers offering service in one community and Stern said that could happen.

Posted by johnston at 10:44 AM

March 15, 2006

Council Briefs for March 12

The council of the village of Mariemont convened at 7:30 p.m. March 12, at the administration building. Here are the highlights of that meeting.

Bike trail update
As has been recently reported, representatives from OKI have requested that the village participate in the construction of a bike trail through the Village in order to assist in a proposed bike trail loop that would run through several eastern Hamilton County communities, more notably referred to as the “Red Bank-Fairfax-Mariemont-Columbia Trail Loop.”

The proposed trail would begin and end with the Little Miami Scenic Trail, at the Newtown Road Bridge and at the Beechmont Levee Bridge, creating a loop approximately 11 miles long.

If council approves the extension, the trail would utilize the area of the old CG&E right-of-way, which runs from the intersection of Murray and Settle roads on the west of the village to Wooster Pike south of the high school on the eastern side of the village.

OKI would help pay for part of the extension; the village would be responsible for approximately 30 to 40 per cent of the cost. Costs for similar bike trail projects have been approximately $500,000, which would make the village’s cost in the area of $150,000 to $200,000.

The village’s planning and zoning committee has said it would like to work with OKI to establish a bike trail system, since it would provide a wonderful addition for villagers and visitors, but they feel the trail – as proposed – would be a detriment to existing green spaces. Also, the committee does not feel the village should be as financially responsible as the present proposal indicates.

Future discussion on the subject is schedule.

Lawnscapers ordinance passed
Council accepted Lawnscapers bid of $127,970 to mow and trim selected village properties; the bid was deemed the lowest and best bid. Lawnscapers is under contract for 2006 and 2007.

The ordinance was declared an emergency (a term used when an issue in need to bypass the typical three readings council employs) because the contract is to be effective in time for the first mowing.

Fast alert, quick action
Council was curious to learn how the village police department was able to quicky apprehend a burglar last month, preventing a situation that could have escalated. Chief Rick Hines said the answer was simple: a resident called the department to inform them of some suspicious activity that was being witnessed. Based on the phone call, the police were dispatched and, sure enough, the result was the thwarting of a burglary attempt. Hines said it was a veritable example of why neighborhood watch programs are so important.

Ballot issue slated for November
There is an issue that everyone in the village may want to vote on, whether they like to vote or not. The issue is call the Tax Expenditure and Limitation Ballot, or TEL. The purpose is to amend the state constitution that will limit the ability of the legislature to increase state spending.

The issue is complicated. The following information is taken from the Citizens of Tax Reform Web site http://www.repealthetax.com/

It is encouraged that residents research the information to get a better grasp of the issues.

Q. Why does Ohio need a TEL?
A. Ohio state government spending is growing at an unsustainable rate, 71 per cent since 1994. This rate of spending growth drives jobs out of Ohio and saddles remaining taxpayers with unreasonably high burdens.

Q. How many other states have TELs?
A. Twenty-six states have either tax or spending limitations. New Jersey passed the first TEL in 1976, and Ronald Reagan helped promote Prop 13 in California in 1978.

Q. Colorado has a TEL and some say their state government has been hamstrung in their efforts to adjust to a changing economy. Won’t this cause the same problems for Ohio?
A. Colorado’s situation is different because their amendment requires approval of all tax increases (not spending increases) and was later amended to allow accelerated K-12 education spending. Ohio’s amendment only limits what is spent, not how it is raised, and contains a ‘poison pill’ that voids the spending limit if other amendments authorizing higher spending are passed.

Q. Why change the Constitution to do this?
A. Putting this in the Constitution puts an institutional wall in place against increased taxes and spending. John Hancock said, “Constitutions are not restrictions by government upon the people, constitutions are restrictions by the people upon the government.”

Q. What is notable in Citizens for Tax Reform’s latest petition language?
A.1) This petition language allows state spending to increase 3.5 per cent or the sum of the rate of inflation plus the increase in population, whichever is higher.
2) Local governments receive a guaranteed baseline spending level of five per cent of state revenues and state government is forbidden from placing duties on local government without providing the revenue to perform them (no unfunded mandates).
3) A simple legislative majority can authorize a statewide referendum on higher spending.

Q. If this TEL was in place two years ago, how would it have changed Ohio’s budget?
A. State spending went up 11 per cent in the FY04-05 budget. If the TEL was in place the most state spending could have increased was seven per cent - a savings of nearly $2 billion in general fund dollars alone.

Upcoming info
There was a presentation from ICRC exectutive director Pat Stern to inform council of some possible changes from a state and national level that could have a serious impact on the future of ICRC and its coverage of local events. The Mariemontbuzz.com is presently researching more thoroughly the possible changes and will post an update quicklky.

Posted by johnston at 01:52 PM