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.