Is there a charge for trash removal, recycling and brush removal?
There is no charge for trash removal, recycling or brush removal. Trash and recycling are picked up weekly. Brush is picked-up on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month. Depending on the amount of brush set out your brush may be picked-up on Tuesday or Wednesday of those weeks. Leaves are picked-up by the Township from mid October to mid December after these dates; leaves may also be disposed of with your household trash.
Does this change our school district?
The state controls school districts. We would still be in the Cincinnati school district. There is a process to move to a new school district. I talked with the Ohio Department of Education and they are sending me information on the process. At present, some areas of Columbia Township attend Indian Hill schools.
What is the income tax rate?
The township can only have property taxes and tax increases must be voted on by the people in the township.
What is the property tax?
The city is 1.95%. The township is 2.35%. My property in Cincinnati is $1,577.67. In the township it would be $1,869.71. If my property was in the township and the school district was Indian Hill, the rate would be 1.406% or $1,135.98.
The median income tax for the city is $630. In the past, if you worked in one city and lived in another city, you paid taxes to the city you worked in and not where you live. These agreements between the local taxing districts are being changed. More and more people in the county are paying income tax in both the area they work and the area they live.
Ultimately, it comes down to what is in your best interests now and in the future. Leaving will cause some peoples total taxes to go up a little and others down a little now. Changing schools districts will bring down taxes. The big question is whether the city is going to be fiscally responsible in the future. I’m betting not. The street car alone will increase taxes for decades and cause bus service to be reduced.
What is the procedure for pursing a change?
The process is written about below.
Is Columbia Township in favor of this move?
The township takes a neutral position. They do this because the city wants to annex areas like where Home Depot and Lowes are located. They don’t want to battle with the city over land and risk losing commercial property. The more commercial property that leaves the township, the higher the costs is on home owners for the township to provide services.
Will the City of Cincinnati ‘fight’ this move?
And, with the presumption that the City will fight this move, what are the costs to the current City residents, if any?
The city is unpredictable but Ohio law doesn’t provide the city with any grounds to prevent this move. The law is clear that if people are fed up with a local government, they are free to leave that government and join a township or form a new local government.
Does this mean we would then be policed by the County Sheriffs? If so, aren’t they also over burdened with tax cuts? Would we really be gaining a safer neighborhood (that might be a concern of mine, only).
The area would be policed by the county, but the area is already policed by the county. Also, our area is bordered by Mariemont and Indian Hill and it’s not uncommon to see their law enforcement in our area. These two villages have a vested interest is seeing that crime doesn’t increase in our area.
EMS services are a different story. Currently, 911 dispatchers have to take time and figure out which department to send to our area. For us, the first response has to come from the station at Hyde Park square. Only then can other departments be called in. By being in the township, first response comes from LMFD which is a few blocks away. They could then quickly call in resources from the neighboring villages if needed.
Who is the driving force behind this annexation?
There is no group or organization behind the move to leave the city. Over the past few years, people I’ve talked with have expressed an interest in being in the township. We wouldn’t be annexed, just leaving the city. You could say we are taking a step in restoring the city to its rightful borders.
March 26, 2010 at 6:55 pm |
I applaud your efforts to start this discussion. Allow me to question and challenge a handful of things…
Suggesting there would be no charge for trash services and the like isn’t true.
Of course there is. Whether it is on your Water/Sewer Bill, from a private contractor or built in to your property tax, one way or another these services aren’t offered free of charge in Columbia Township.
We would still be in the Cincinnati school district. Property values are most directly tied to school district. The only way this move would be immediately beneficial is if we were able to get into Indian Hill or Mariemont Schools. If not this is a lateral move at best. If so, property values would increase (and so would taxes).
Policing would decrease. Hamilton County and Mariemont already patrol here, along with Cincinnati PD. Leaving the city would eliminate the CPD patrols altogether. The remarks about the fire department are valid points. Its hard to say whether or not switching municipalities would improve safety.
Respectfully, sir, you are inclined to your perspectives. However, in the interest of full disclosure, I do think you should be more forthright about your agenda. You want to leave the city. You don’t like the streetcar. You don’t like the city government. And I’m sure you have some good reasons for all those opinions, and you are certainly entitled to them.
Taxes aren’t trending upward for the city; we live in one of the most affordable major cities in the country. We have reasonable property taxes and there is no reason to believe some major shakeup is coming because of streetcars or anything else. Our tax dollars enter a larger pool that support region benefiting initiatives such as our sports teams and even things like the streetcar proposal. We enjoy city parks and recreation centers, like the one on Stewart Rd. that has a pool and gym for less than $75 for a year’s membership. Some city employees’ are required to live in city limits; a move would drastically effect them. Being a part of the city gives us a vote concerning what goes on in the city. Grant money available to attract new families to the city would disappear. The point is, the benefits of staying in the city are many as well.
No matter the outcome, this is great because it is starting a conversation among neighbors that will hopefully lead to this neighborhood becoming a more healthy place to live.
March 27, 2010 at 12:00 am |
I didn’t mean that trash pickup would be free. Some townships require each resident pay a yearly or quarterly fee to have trash picked up. I took the question presented to me as asking if there would be this type of fee in Columbia Township.
I agree that transferring from the city to the township is a lateral move now from a tax view, but the city has long ignored it’s pension system to keep taxes at there current rate. The Enquirer has run two front page stories about the pension system in the past month. In the most recent, the counsel is looking at selling taxpayer own assets, property tax increases, and service cuts, and while this debate is going on, the same counsel is talking about spending $150 million on parks between the two stadiums. In the 30 years being in the area, I’ve seen too many of the city’s get rich schemes fail. I’m not betting the city is going to get religion and start balancing their books.
It’s not that I don’t like street cars, it’s just that the city wants to me to pay to build it and wants me to pay part of the fare each time someone rides it. I’ve followed rail projects around the country over the years and they don’t deliver and hurt the poor.
There’s an interesting site on the history of rail service for the city. I find it interesting because it lists the routes, when they closed, and when the companies that owned them went bankrupt. Moving people by rail became obsolete in the 50s.
You and I differ on government expectations. Nothing wrong with that. The city spent $3,500 person in 2008 not including school money. The things you lists as benefits, I see as liabilities and feel I could have put that money to better use for my needs.
I do agree with you that starting conversations among neighbors can only be a benefit. Just knowing your neighbors can make for a safer place.
March 27, 2010 at 1:25 pm |
From a broad standpoint, I’m responsible enough with $3500 for every person in my home to use my tax money in better ways for benefits the city provides, just as you said. I agree with you in principle, I just don’t see how leaving the city solves anything other than us being able to say our tax money didn’t go toward whatever project city hall concocts. I guess what I don’t understand is what would be the benefit of moving from the city to the township if it would be a property tax increase (what would we be paying for)? Without a school district switch, it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense to me.
March 28, 2010 at 11:16 am |
I, too, applaud your efforts. Taking ANY action in support or nonsupport of anything political/governmental is largely unheard of. Discussion is good for the sake of it. It let’s us see how our neighbors view things and even opens our minds to things we might not have thought of. Last year, at this very time, our street (Palmetto) had a rash of breakins. Pretty scary for many of us, and in the 9 years I had at the time lived on the street- unheard of for our street. I took letters to each and every house on our street, from Grove to Plainville. I had maybe 1-2 conversations with neighbors, tops (other than the ones that had the breakins and my normal group I talk to). I got the sense that most of them thought I was “odd” for taking such an interest in the neighborhood/street. I would imagine today, a year later, most have gone on with their customary approach to living their lives…and have given up on the tips/pointers provided by CPD. I never did see an increase in patrol by either Citizens on Patrol (I think I saw their van go down our street one time) or the CPD.
So, what does this have to do with your topic? Nothing, I suppose, directly. But, indirectly, I think it has some value.
I am not really in favor of leaving Cincinnati to go to Columbia Township mostly because it has little if any direct value to me. Property tax would go up, and schools stay the same. The neighborhood wouldn’t change any (safety, crime, housing statistics, etc.). Maybe our street wouldn’t be the very last street in the universe to be plowed, but, I have learned to live with that.
The City taxes us 2.1%, as a resident of, but, not an employee of an employer located in, the City. My understanding of this is : you get a “credit” so to speak, income tax wise, and never pay more than the max of where you live and work. For instance, if I worked in a municipality that had a .5% tax, I would pay that .5% tax to the municipality, and then the balance over to the City. I am not aware of any changes in Ohio law that would effect this.
So, income tax wise, it could be a limited benefit to someone like that me, someone living in a City, but working in another Township. I would pay no income tax to the City of Cincinnati.
Really, though, if the only reason to move is to stay away from the decisions made by those in charge in the City of Cincinnati, doesn’t it make more sense to fight those decisions directly? Isn’t moving taking a NIMBY type approach? Street cars, light rail, stadium reconstructions/new builds…someone is always on the other side. I was so against the stadium tax. I voted against it. Obviously, I was in the minority. We now have a lovely stadium, super crappy sports team, and no funds for our schools or communities. (Not saying they are related, but that the priorities are very messed up).
So, keep talking, as maybe something other than moving out of the City will come from it.
April 6, 2010 at 12:53 am |
Just curious about the fire/EMS info you post…. there are two stations closer to us than Hyde Park – One in Madisonville at 5917 Prentice St
Cincinnati, OH 45227 and the other in Oakley at 4401 Marburg Ave -
Cincinnati, OH 45209.
Found them at this website – http://www.cincyfire.com/CFD_Firehouses.cfm
But you say 911 has to dispatch from Hyde Park? (your quote “EMS services are a different story. Currently, 911 dispatchers have to take time and figure out which department to send to our area. For us, the first response has to come from the station at Hyde Park square.”)
Can you share where you got your info about Hyde Park?
I know when I called Cincinnati EMS once they came from the Oakley station.
As far as this whole leave the city thing… I seem to recall about 30 or so years ago (not sure maybe more) this area (Madison Place) was NOT in the city of Cincinnati. (and I think there’s still some indivigual streets or blocks that remained in Col. Twnshp. now) But… back then somebody came along thought it might be a good idea to be in Cincinnati. So maybe some research on that initiative might shed some light or provide some insight as to whether leaving Cincinnati would be a good thing or not — meaning, somebody thought it was an advantage to be a part of the city.
I’m kinda agreeing with Johanna too. Metaphorically, If you don’t like the heat, turn off the stove…. don’t move the kitchen. Cincinnati has and will continue to do some good and bad things… wouldn’t it be better to campaign on the individual issues rather than leave?
And I think dialog is almost always a good thing among citizens. Share ideas, share solutions, share options…. maybe having a chunk of it’s real-estate go back to the county might make Cincinnati take notice. Personally, I don’t think they care (we don’t have a major sports team) but I’m willing to hear the different sides of the debate. And I commend you for DOING something when so many don’t.
January 19, 2011 at 4:25 pm |
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