March 23, 2011
State-of-the-city address
Mayor says less government is better By GARY BUDZAK ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Mayor Don Schonhardt titled his latest state-of-the-city address “Trimming the Sails,” and he discussed some successes in 2010, future projects, and the challenges he expects in his third term. On March 16, a nearly full City Hall heard Schonhardt set the tone for the address with a quote from William Arthur
“To say the past year has been a difficult year would be a gross understatement,” Schonhardt said. “I hope this recovery teaches us that we must be ever Go to ThisWeekNews.com to read a vigilant in government and continue to complete transcript of Mayor Don control expenditures by resisting the opSchonhardt’s state-of-the-city address. portunity to expand government, thus putting more pressure on taxpayers and Ward: “The pessimist complains about businesses in our community.” The mayor said his philosophy of govthe wind; the optimist expects it to ernment is “less is better,” and he has change; the realist adjusts the sails.”
made do in part by “enacting a hiring freeze for all but the most critical positions.” Schonhardt said he is a fiscal conservative who is willing to “walk the walk” because “the citizens of this community rely on us to deliver quality basic governmental services at a price they can afford.” He said he feels Hilliard citizens want balance — “a community with room for growth, but not uncontrolled
growth.” Among the basic government services were “enough recreational offerings to provide a quality-of-life dimension.” He described some programs the administration has been exploring, including: • A community garden park within Hilliard. See SCHONHARDT, page A2
Schonhardt: Hilliard will feel pain of governor’s budget cuts By GARY BUDZAK ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By Tim Norman/ThisWeek
Brandon Long (left), Anthony Agosta, Jared Zellers and Justin Cramer stand with Police Chief Doug Francis after being sworn in March 21 as Hilliard’s newest police officers.
New HPD officers sworn in By GARY BUDZAK ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Four new officers were sworn into the Hilliard Division of Police on March 21, the first to join the force since 2008. Anthony Agosta, Justin Cramer, Brandon Long and Jared Zellers were sworn in at a ceremony in the Safety Services Building, which was filled with family members and city, police and fire staff. “This is a very special group,” Police Chief Douglas Francis said of the four men, who are his first hires. “These guys represent 2 percent of the people who put in for this job. They went through a great deal to get here. We had a challenging yet fair process that allowed us to pick the cream that rose to the top.” Francis said the four-month process included a community panel of business people, members of the fire department and the schools. “Our goal was to find that individual that not only fit our agency, but the Hilliard communi-
“
This is a very special group. These guys represent two percent of the people who put in for this job. They went through a great deal to get here. We had a challenging yet fair process that allowed us to pick the cream that rose to the top.
DOUG FRANCIS — police chief
”
ty as well,” Francis said. “These gentlemen are going to be here 30 years, so we’ve got to make sure we identify the absolute best candidates.” Each officer was introduced before being sworn in: • Agosta, 23, resides in Bexley, is a graduate of Lancaster High School, worked at Mt. Carmel-
St. Ann’s, attends Ohio State University and serves in the Army National Guard. • Cramer, 26, resides in Delaware, is a graduate of North Baltimore High School and Bowling Green State University, and was a staff sergeant in the United States Air Force. • Long, 30, was born in Hilliard and resides in Dublin, is a graduate of Hilliard High School and Ohio University, served in the USAF and was an inmate counselor. • Zellers, 22, resides in Pataskala, is a graduate of Watkins Memorial High School, attends Columbus State Community College, and serves in the Air National Guard. Francis said Zellers will be “hitting the streets right away” (in a few weeks) and the other three officers start their 18-week stint at the Police Academy in Columbus this week. “New officers bring new energy, and that’s exciting for me,” Francis said. Mayor Donald Schonhardt administered the
Norwich Township trustee Larry Earman commented on Gov. John Kasich’s proposed biennium budget last week, saying the proposed cuts in government funding will lead to a levy vote next year. “I appreciate the problem the governor has,” Earman said. “He’s got to do what he’s got to do. He doesn’t want to increase taxes. I hear that, but
Norwich Township’s problem is we can’t cut enough out of our expenses to make up for the lost revenue.” The Kasich plan Larry Earman includes a 50-percent cut in Local Government Fund assistance. “Fortunately, it’s not a major number,” Earman said. “It’s approximately $100,000 a year.
There’s a 25-percent cut at fiscal year ended June 30, 2012, and then it would be another 25 percent, bringing it down to 50 percent the following year. That’s one of the cuts.” Earman said changes to the personal property tax reimbursement will also result in a hit to the township. “Five, six years ago when they eliminated the personal property tax, substituted it with the commercial activity tax, the state made school
By GARY BUDZAK ThisWeek Community Newspapers
See NORWICH LEVY, page A2
See MCVEY SAYS, page A2
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Kasich plan boosts need for school levy, McVey says
districts and townships whole for the loss in personal property tax. We knew that it was going to begin to be phased out this year and by 2018, it was gone. But if I understand what I’ve read so far, that phase-out of the reimbursement that the state’s providing the township and Hilliard City Schools is going to be done faster, and that’s about $1-million.” The elimination of the estate tax,
See NEW OFFICERS, page A2
Levy likely next year after state budget cuts ThisWeek Community Newspapers
See CITY EXPECTS, page A2
Gov. John Kasich’s proposed state budget makes passage of Hilliard’s school levy more important, according to Superintendent Dale McVey. If Issue 7 — the 6.9-mill operating levy — fails in the May 3 election, McVey said $3,890,279 in possible budget reductions could go into effect for the 2011-12 school year. Those cuts include eliminating 51.5 positions, reducing 247 Dale McVey positions, eliminating all middle school athletics programs, eliminating gifted instruction, fifth-grade band and strings programs, transportation services for field trips, daycare services and gifted shuttles. A detailed list of the cuts can be found online at www.hilliardcityschools.org. “I do not want to make these cuts,” McVey said. “Hilliard City Schools has already reduced expenditures by $6.5-million, including pay freezes for administrators, teachers and staff members.
Norwich Township By GARY BUDZAK
Local governments and school districts throughout Ohio have an opinion on Gov. John Kasich’s proposed state budget, and Hilliard is no exception. According to Gov. John Kasich’s proposed budget, the Local Government Fund would be cut from $665-million in the 2011 budget to $339-million in 2013, almost a 50-percent decrease. In a letter included with the state budget, Kasich wrote that the budget “closes an $8-billion structural imbalance while preserving the $800-million, two-year income-tax cut that went into effect on Jan. 1.” Hilliard Mayor Don Schonhardt mentioned the Kasich budget during his state-of-thecity address last week. “Nine percent of our general fund revenue is derived from state-levied shared taxes, of which, the Local Government Don Schonhardt Fund accounts for approximately 50-percent,” Schonhardt said. “In 2011, the proposed reductions in local gov-
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