YOUR INFORMATION NEWSLETTER FROM NORTHFIELD CENTER TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE PAUL G. BUESCHER
~ KEEPING NCT RESIDENTS INFORMED SINCE 2005 ~
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#508 TUESDAY OCTOBER 31, 2017
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MORE PROOF OF PLAN TO MERGE NCT & SAGAMORE WITH MACEDONIA
There seems to be a little confusion over our claim that Macedonia has plans to merge our communities. John Romanik and I have known about this for quite some time and have taken heat over our rejection of Macedonia Mayor Joe Migliorini’s ‘offer’ for a “Feasibility Study.” We feel that it’s time to put this one to bed once and for all.
A letter was sent to the Mayor on September 26th from CT Consultants. Stated on the letter reference line is “Proposal to Conduct Merger Study.” Please note the word MERGER!
Under Section one of the proposal is stated:
“UNDERSTANDING THE PROJECT
CT Consultants (CT) is pleased to submit this proposal to conduct a study of the costs and benefits of merging the City of Macedonia, Northfield Center Township and Sagamore Hills Township into one municipal jurisdiction.”
Please note the bold highlights. This study was proposed with the purpose of MERGING OUR COMMUNITIES “INTO ONE MUNICIPAL JURISDICTION.” And where is Northfield Village in all of this?
Please feel free to read the whole proposal for yourself:
Now you know why we rejected the offer of a proposed study meeting.
We rest our case!
It is very clear that there were closed door meetings held in Macedonia to assemble a proposal like this. John Romanik and I were not privy to these meetings or the obvious agreements that were made in our absence. As a result of our ‘decision’ to decline Mayor Migliorini’s invitation to a study meeting, several have chastised us for this decision without public input. I responded to one such critic on an area blog as follows:
If we are not interested in attending a meeting, which is exactly what the ‘invitation’ was for, then that is our decision to make privately or publicly. There was no meeting necessary to make that decision. Simply speaking, we respectfully declined the invitation with stated reasons. One can interpret Ohio’s Sunshine law anyway they can and in that respect, all the interpretations that I’ve seen here are plain wrong.
One could interpret the law as requiring a public board to have a meeting to determine what would be on the next meeting’s agenda. However, when was the meeting held to make that original determination? It’s like what came first, the Chicken or the egg?
Another reason for our declining the meeting is the fact that the person who signed that proposal, Dave Hartt, was the city planner for Macedonia under Migliorini & Kuchta. We had NO input on the company being hired. And look at the price tag – upwards of $78,000! Since they left Northfield Village out of the equation, our share of the bill could have been as high as $26,000!
There are those on this blog crying about our spending $4500 on the special Fire Levy election. I can just hear the whining about $26,000 on another go nowhere study! We already paid thousands of dollars on the same kind of study (Preuer Study) back in 2007 and NOTHING came of it! We were not interested and said no thanks. I’ve explained this over and over again. Make of it what you want but those are the facts. There’s much more to this job than pussy-footing around to please a few people who just don’t get it!
And this is from Trustee John Romanik:
Mayor Migliorini requested the proposal. Consultants don’t just offer nineteen-page proposals on a whim. And there had to be discussions of the context of the study. In our eyes, Macedonia’s perceived goal of the study was to determine the ‘feasibilty’ of “whether merging into one community is more cost effective and/or otherwise more beneficial than continuing to exist as three separate jurisdictions.” This topic was NEVER even hinted at given the scant information we received. There were a few references to policing and service departments.
In spite of the Mayor’s claim that there were discussions with “Northfield Center”, these discussions were not held with Paul or myself. And we were not given any information on what was said. Are the supporters of Mazzola and Pepera willing to give up Northfield Center? It’s my understanding that Rich Reville does all of the talking at the Mazzola/Pepera meetings, so who is really running the show? Reville has been pushing this agenda for a long time. And why? It’s not too hard to envision him “convincing” Mazzola or Pepera to go along with it. Or are they already on the same page to sell us out? I haven’t heard either candidate say they are against this study and its implications. I only hear other people speaking for them. Why is that? Why can’t the candidates speak for themselves? In the 1960s the CIA called it “plausible deniability”. Ask Jesse Nehez how much he has been pressured by Macedonia to accept this whole concept. Don’t you think that Reville is being pressured as well?
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q >>> – I am glad to see that our communities are somewhat working together. So my question is, why are all those anti-merger signs still up? You can’t have it both ways or have you found a way to do that?
A >>> – “ALL” those signs? We only have two of them up so please quit exaggerating. One thing that you and everyone else needs to clearly understand …. Merge is defined, according to Webster as .”COMBINE OR CAUSE TO COMBINE TO FORM A SINGLE ENTITY.” Do you understand that? A SINGLE entity. We do not want to MERGE with Macedonia and become a SINGLE entity! It’s been stated many times that I/we are interested in a true Safety District, which can only be accomplished after Macedonia’s Charter is changed to allow it. And you’re right, you can’t have it both ways. That is why John and I have taken the stand that we did.
Q >>> – If I’m not mistaken these are the numbers for the sheriff renewal. A few years ago we passed a levy for the sheriff. I believe the levy was good for 835 k per year for three years (correct me if I’m wrong) If this is the case how do we make up for 2018 (845,783), 2019 (872,009) and 2200 (899,039).
845,738+872,009+899,039= 2,616,832 Current sheriff contract
835k * 3 = 2505000 Tax payer levy
2,616,832-2,505,000= -111,832 (deficit)
If my numbers are wrong please correct me. The point I’m trying to make is where are we getting this money from? Aren’t we in the red? Just checking my facts
A >>> – Now we’re getting somewhere. The answer is simple. Using your figures, the levy brings in $2,505,000 ($835k x 3yrs) for the duration of the contract. The contract is for $2,616,000. As you correctly calculated (I’m rounding off) $2,616,000 – 2,505.000 = $111,000. Now, take that $299,000 carryover from this year into the renewal contract and subtract your “deficit” from it ($299,000 – $111,000 = $188,000) and you should clearly see that we will be $188,000 in the black! I know that we’ve been using our Fiscal Officer’s $217,000 figure but either way, there is NO DEFICIT! The math doesn’t lie but apparently some people out there don’t see it that way!
Q >>> – This was in your last newsletter – To “Mark & Liz”: Ryan P. Donnelly? Really? You have to do better than that! I don’t understand it. What was this supposed to say?
A >>> – Last week I received a mysterious letter in the mail ‘signed’ by “Mark & Liz.” The letter alleged that an area elected official was arrested for aggravated assault and disorderly conduct. They referenced an actual event that took place and was documented in an out of area newspaper police blotter. The newspaper did not mention any names. Since I always check to verify allegations like this, I found the actual police report and found the name “Donnelly” as opposed to any area elected official. It became apparent that someone was trying to set me up in the hope that I would have published the story, thereby opening myself up for liability. Better luck next time “Mark & Liz!”
YOUR GENERAL COMMENTS
NOTE – If you would like your name to appear under your
Comments, please type the word “Signed” next to your name
Thank You Dave Sabo for your memories and insight, and all your years of service to the residents.
Signed Christine Calhoun
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Hi Paul. I appreciate you keeping us informed about this “Merger” that is trying to get snuck in. If it wasn’t for your newsletter I would not even know who the other trustees are. I know I don’t want to merge. I don’t see ANY benefit from this other than more city taxes. I’m guessing we would become a city, not Macedonia becoming a township. There are so many reasons on why not to become a city.
Thank you for your newsletter and all the info you have provided over the past several years and to several more. You have my vote next week.
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Everyone is talking about the possibility of annexation but are not truly concerned because it would have to go to a vote of the residents. HOWEVER, there is another way that a City or Village can annex a Township. If a City or Village can prove in a Court of Law that they can provide better services, such as Police, Fire/EMS and Road, a Judge could rule in favor of the annexation thereby foregoing a vote of the people. As it stands Macedonia is providing Excellent Fire/Ems service to most of the Nordonia Community, along with dispatching of police, fire and EMS, so if you were the Judge in a Court of Law, would you rule in favor or against a petition to annex the Township(s). Think about it.
Richard James
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Thank you,
Paul G. Buescher
Northfield Center Twp. Trustee – Chairman
