To the Editor, ThisWeek TheHilliard:

 

I agree with a key point of the letter written by Butch Seidel and published in the May 11 edition of this newspaper: The comments I made to the School Board are my opinions, formed from my own analysis, and good journalism requires that other viewpoints be incorporated in order to fully inform the public.

 

It has long been my hope that at least one of our area newspapers would take up the assignment to describe, in depth, the ways in which continued land development plays into the economic health of our community. I have personally challenged reporters and one editor to do such a story. There are many players in this drama: the real estate developers; the families with large tracts of land which they would like to sell to developers; the township, city, county, state and federal governments, the school district, and the residents of the community. The Columbus Dispatch has run articles at various times on this subject, but has failed to ‘connect the dots’ sufficiently to create the whole picture.

 

Update June 21, 2006: Dispatch columnist Ann Fisher has written two excellent stories about school funding recently. I won't pretend that my comments above were in any way a cause for her interest, but in a way that's even better because it means more people are taking notice of the issue. Her first article directly spoke to the win-lose relationship between developers and communities, while the second article spoke about how increasing property taxes are driving seniors from their homes. I hope she continues to investigate and report on this issue.

 

Here’s the key question to ask: Why would the City of Hilliard entertain the idea of accepting annexation requests for 2,000 acres of residential development when such development creates an incremental funding deficit for both the City and the school district? 

 

I have an answer, but it is only my opinion. 

 

Will you help discover the whole truth?