In case you missed it, below you can find the letter to the editor I wrote and was printed in the Huber Heights Courier.  Twice already this week I've heard the City Manager say that it would be irresponsible too commit to buiding a Firehouse, yet in the same week he recommends we sign a $225,000 dollar a year, unbreakable for ten years, contract to a management company to run the Music Center.  
 
Don't think that I've missed the irony that for the last three months we've been told that if the tax levy doesn't pass in November the city will have to cut $225,000 out of the parks budget but somehow adding the $225,000 in expenditures to run the Music Center is not only possible, the recommendation is to lock it in so no matter how bad safety services suffer we are still committed to sending money to Cincinnati even five, seven and ten years from now. 
 
Here is the letter I wrote.  I'm open to your evaluation and comments on responsibility / irresponsibility.   
 
Lets Build Our New Firehouse the way we Promised.
 
Last week's letter to the editor by Mr. Franks provides a prime example of why at the end of the last city council meeting I invited those who disagree with my positions to speak  up.  Mr. Franks contention that I "dispersed false information to try and convince voters that the city ... was stealing money from the schools." comes at the perfect time to highlight that taking money that rightly belongs to the schools is still an option considered by city officials.  This time the money would come from the Bethel School system and the excuse given by the city proponents is because they want to build a Firehouse on the north end of the city. 
 
As always when discussing TIF districts it is important to distinguish a proper TIF such as the one created to help pay for the road and sewer improvements at the new Trimble facility from an improper TIF such as the one proposed for across the street from Trimble on Parktowne Blvd.  Even though building a Firehouse is an appropriate use of TIF dollars, in this case demanding that the schools give up 70% of their property tax is wrong because the residents of the City have already passed a special levy that put $1.9 million dollars in the bank to pay for that $2.0 million facility.  Once the Firehouse is built and paid for that special levy turns into operating funds that could help sustain the facility.     
 
Years ago city officials promised that if residents passed a special levy the city would build a new Firehouse.  This week I was told the Firehouse only gets built if citizens pass another levy and the city is allowed to take Bethel School money to pay for it.  I think it is time for promises kept.  We must start investing in the things that make a city great like schools, parks, streets, police and fire.  Let's honor our commitment and begin to lay the Firehouse foundation today using the money residents already gave us for that purpose.
 
 
 
Below is the sensational version of the first paragraph.  It would be fair for me to write it this way given the way City officials phrase their plans in order to deceive in a way that promotes the idea they are trying to sell.  Even though I can write the same way, I can't actually in good faith present it as useful to someone trying to understand the issue.
 
In case you missed it, below above you can find the letter to the editor I wrote and was printed in the Huber Heights Courier.  Twice already this week I've heard the City Manager say that it would be irresponsible too commit to building a Firehouse, yet in the same week he recommends we sign a $2,250,000 dollar, ten year, unbreakable contract to a management company to run the Music Center.