Objections to a Merger Study? BY JACK MACMILLAN

There is NO legitimate reason to fight against a merger study.

Merger studies simply allow residents to see if and how they can do better.

The principal objection in all mergers is the fact that many Township residents are opposed to paying income taxes. That is understandable.
No doubt many people settled in the Township because there is no income tax.

But let's put the income tax concern in its proper perspective. The only Township people who would face income taxes for the first time are those who live in the Township and who work in this or another township. Everyone who now lives in the Township but works in Sylvania, Toledo, Maumee, or Perrysburg already pays income tax to that city. Sylvania grants reciprocity. There would be no new tax for these residents. (Only about 30% of City residents pay income tax to Sylvania City.)

We have copies of several merger agreements and they make interesting reading. Each shows that merger commissioners can offer relief to those Township residents. They can propose that Township levies can be reduced or eliminated. They can propose property tax relief under certain pre-conditions. One merger agreement said that property tax relief will be given if income tax revenue reaches a certain fixed dollar amount. Given a complete study of City and Township finances, they can propose a reduction in the City income tax if they think it is prudent and negotiate such a condition.

We can estimate how many Township residents fall into this "new tax"
category with a fair degree of accuracy. The merger commissioners representing the Township can then make proposals on ways to ease the impact on them.

Remember: the merger commission will consist of 5 residents of the City and 5 of the Township, negotiating as equals, in open meetings.
Remember their recommendations must be accepted by both sides and be approved by voters in both entities before they can be implemented.

In a merger, the "new city" must pick up the services that had been provided, under state law, by the County. This situation may require a burden on both City and Township residents, which the commissioners will need to study closely. Commissioners can negotiate with County officials to ease or phase in these burdens.

Agreements we have seen have been successfully passed even when a new income tax on city and township of 2.25% has been a condition. What price unity here?

One agreement merely extended a 1.5% tax to the merged community.
Another states that "an income tax is not necessary".

Some Township residents prefer a more rural life style and may be concerned about keeping livestock, discharging firearms, maintaining fences and ponds and the like.
Agreements we have seen state that all these activities in the Township that were legal before the merger shall be legal after the merger. Other agreements state that no resident within the merged City with an operating water well will be required to connect to a central water system as a result of the merger.

Obviously, there are many things to consider. The goal of AdVantage is to gather as many of the financial and other factors together between now and next November so the commissioners won't need to take valuable time in research. The time from November, 2006 until mid-August of 2007 can then be spent in negotiating the "best deal"
for all residents in open meetings.

By the way, no merger has ever caused a change in school districts.
Children in the former Township attend the same school after a merger.

Why not give merger commissioners a chance to see what they can do?
If we don't like it, we just vote it down. Even where merger terms and conditions have been voted down, the still-separated community feels it has been a worthwhile learning experience