Civil Discourse Has Disappeared

Civil discourse in the debate regarding competing fire levies has pretty much disappeared. I have been accused of lying regarding statements that I have made. Let me take a moment to defend my statements:

1. I have been accused of saying that if it were not for the union mandated minimum staffing level I would have cut staffing even more.This is not true.I have said that in making the staffing level decision, we looked at the union contract for guidance.The union thought 14 firefighters was safe almost 2 years ago when they entered into the contract; why have they now changed their minds?
2. My statement that “the 1.5 Mill levy is a ‘temporary’ fix according to the citizens group”:Their website states that this levy will allow the department to operate “while long term funding options can be explored.”My proposal for a five-year levy was intended to get the township on a five year funding horizon, not as a stop-gap measure until we can “fix” a funding mechanism (property taxes) that isn’t broken.
3. My statement that the levy committee is demanding that we increase our staffing by 50 per cent: Again, their website refers to needed staffing levels of 21 people at all times, seven more than the 14 we staff on a daily basis now. It’s simple math.
   
4. I have stated that the 1.5 mill levy will not pay for new equipment or facilities. Although the ballot language of the 1.5 mill levy will allow us to use the money for capital needs, it’s not enough money for what they are saying it will pay for. According to public statements made by their co-chair Mike Brown, they believe the 1.5 mill levy will pay for 5 additional fire fighters ($490,000+), transport unit ($100,000 for equipment lease, plus other expenses), full time fire inspector ($75,000+) and equipment and buildings ($740,000 per our bond levy request). If we are at a $1.6 million deficit as our fiscal officer claims, the $2.2 million raised by this levy is barely enough to cover the personnel changes they are demanding. This levy will not pay for capital needs and personnel increases, despite what the levy group is saying.

For years, the fire department has demanded more and more and more. Prior trustees just opened up the township coffers and practically gave them a blank check. In ten years, we have seen spending almost double, while township population has increased only marginally. I’m not seeking to ‘gut’ the department, I’m simply demanding that the fire department be responsible in its spending and actually stick to a budget.

DeeDee Liedel
Sylvania Township Trustee

Sylvania Township Update

Lots of new and important information in this issue, including taxes, money, and zoning. A lot of good news and progress has been made, and I want to share that with you.

Township Taxes Reduced!

It took a little bit of work, but I did it - I have reduced your taxes. I firmly believe that we can run government more efficiently without reducing services, thus saving you, the taxpayer, money. This is a step in that direction.

In the last few months, it became apparent to me that the police department has more in cash reserves, almost double, than was expected after voters passed the 2004 2.5 mil levy. Clearly, we have enough money to operate the police department at current levels, and there was no reason in my opinion to continue to collect more than we need. We can reduce the police revenues without reducing service, laying off employees or otherwise negatively affecting the safety of our community.

I applaud the police department for their fiscal stewardship while providing excellent service. Many of our officers and staff live in the township and understand the burden that high property taxes place on our residents and businesses.

The tax holiday is not large, just $660,000 out of a $22 million overall township budget. But it is a first step, and I will continue to work to reduce your taxes and limit any increases to those absolutely necessary.

Finding Money

Well, we haven't exactly 'found' money, but we have increased revenues without increasing property taxes. Part of the process of putting the Township's finances in order is to make sure we are collecting all money that is due to us.

Back in 2000, the township entered in to an agreement with a developer for road improvements for the Giant Eagle/Lowe's development on Central Avenue. The Township agreed to make over $500,000 in road improvement for the project, to be reimbursed by the retailers over nine years. Unfortunately, the township was not collecting the money, shifting the burden of these road improvements to the township taxpayers, not the businesses that benefited.

Why had we not collected this money? I don't know. Our Fiscal Officer who likes to refer to himself as the township's fiscal watch dog never brought this issue to the attention of the trustees. It was Pam Hanley's review of past records that brought this outstanding receivable to our attention. In 2006, with the assistance of a little legal muscle, we received $172,169.70, bringing the obligation current.

There were a few other areas where we have been able to collect the full amount due the township. In total, we received over $200,000 in additional revenue in 2006 and 2007, money that could have been collected in prior years and have eased the tax burden on our residents and business, but for the lax fiscal policies of prior boards and weak assistance of the fiscal officer. This is just an example of the fiscal oversight which has been added to the township since I took office, in an effort to manage our assets to the best benefit of our residents.

We Now Have a Zoning Compliance Office

We made a very important purchase recently for our zoning department - we bought tape measures. Yes, simple tape measures, items that are used to measure distance and height and width and depth. With these tools we will now be able to operate a Zoning Compliance Office as opposed to what we have been operating, a zoning application office.

Why didn't we have tape measures in a department that is supposed to be in charge of making sure that those who are building in Sylvania Township are doing so within the guidelines of our Zoning Resolution? I have no idea, other than to say that it has taken me and the other trustees as well as our administrator this long to figure out that our Zoning Office was doing little more than taking applications and approving them, with little or no follow up.

For at least 4 years, township trustee elections have partially focused on the issue of development and growth in our community. But it didn't matter what we ran on, what we said, what we told constituents or how we voted on zoning issues, if the reality was that the zoning department was not fairly, accurately, and timely enforcing the guidelines of our Zoning Resolution.

We all made the assumption that the Zoning Department was enforcing site plan requirements as approved by the Trustees and Zoning Commission, that site visits were made to ensure sign limits and landscaping requirements were being adhered to, that reasonable enforcement was being instituted for the betterment of the community as a whole. That was a wrong assumption, and it is now being corrected.

I look forward to working with Carol and Pam to strengthen our zoning department so that it truly serves the interests of our entire community including the residents, not just the interests of developers and builders.

Competing Fire Levies

The push has started to convince the Sylvania community that they are in imminent danger, a danger that can only be remedied by raising our already high property tax rates. Recent rhetoric by members of the group Supporters for a Safe Sylvania is meant to do nothing but scare the public in to giving the township more money, money that we don't need to provide quality fire and EMS protection to our community.

The trustees have determined that a 0.5 mill operating levy is sufficient to continue funding our fire department at its current service level. However a citizens group is encouraging a 1.5 mill levy, three times the money we really need. They have also said our 0.5 mill capital levy is not enough, either.

Let's start with the 1.5 mill operating levy the citizen group has put on the ballot. It has been described by a member of the firefighters union as a band-aid on a bleeding artery. Adding $2.2 million dollars on a $6.8 million budget is only a temporary fix? They want $2.2 million now, and they want even more in 5 years. What is really needed according to them? They haven't said, just vague references to a "permanent" solution along with demands to increase our staffing 50%. In other words, hold on to your pocketbook, they want to dig a lot deeper.

Members of the group are also attacking our capital levy saying that it's not enough. Again, they want more. They want more space for more firefighters. Now mind you, our plans allow for twice the number of firefighters than we have now, allowing for future growth needs. But eighty percent of the township is built out; almost the entire city is built out. How much bigger do they want? How many more fire fighters? But they want more. More than twice the staff than we do now, if the proposed fire station plans are too small. More space, more money, higher taxes. Keep a tight grip on that pocketbook.

We currently operate an extremely effective fire and EMS service, with excellent response times. Over 80% of our fulltime firefighters are paramedics, a percentage matched by no other department in this region. Our first responders - the first vehicle out to any medical emergency call - are staffed with paramedics, providing unparalleled service to the residents and visitors of the Sylvania community. We respond to the needs of the community with timely, trained staff.

In 2005, the then-trustees tried to increase annual funding for the fire department by $5 million. I helped lead the campaign opposing such an outrageous increase in our property taxes and it was defeated by voters four to one. While we ostensibly have a citizens group trying to raise taxes now, it is supported by the same people - the firefighters union. They want $2.2 million now, more operating money in 5 years, plus more than $740,000 a year to build new buildings. Do you think we're getting close to the $5 million we so soundly turned down 2½ years ago?

Spending in the fire department has doubled - DOUBLED - in ten years. Now they want another 32% increase. We don't need it. We are not cutting services; we are not replacing our full time firefighters with part time volunteers; we are not going to an all-volunteer force. But we are demanding that the department watch its spending, that they operate in an efficient manner.

One levy supporter stated that "one of these levies will accomplish something and the other one won't." That is true. One levy, the 1.5 mill citizen levy, will continue to push up the cost of living in Sylvania and make it harder for families and retirees to remain in Sylvania because our property taxes are out of control. It will tax our residents needlessly and will make it more difficult for other property-tax based entities to get needed funding in the future. The other one, the 0.5 mill operating levy, will keep property taxes as low as possible while maintaining our excellent fire and EMS services.

Thank you for joining me in this township update. I encourage you to forward it on to other township residents and businesses.

Sincerely,

DeeDee Liedel
Sylvania Township Trustee