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Group seeking signatures for incorporation issue halfway there

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By Dave Greber, Staff Writer 9:36 AM Monday, November 9, 2009

The effort to have voters decide next year whether West Chester Twp. should become a city has gathered nearly half the signatures necessary to place the issue on the ballot.

The Committee for West Chester conducted an “Ironing Board Brigade” at polling locations all across the township Nov. 3, with the hopes of gathering most — if not all — the 4,319 valid signatures for the issue to appear on the May 2010 ballot.

Bill Zerkle, chairman of the Committee for West Chester, said Friday, Nov. 6, volunteers at polling locations gathered an estimate of 1,200 to 1,500 signatures on Election Day. He said the group is still counting petition sheets.

Between Tuesday and early June — when the effort began — Zerkle said the group had collected more than 700 signatures.

Zerkle said there may be some question about whether the signatures could be validated by elections officials by the end of the year as he had previously hoped. He said the group will be reevaluating their position in December.

“We walked away feeling good about it,” Zerkle said about Tuesday’s petition drive. “We passed out a lot of information, people asked questions. I think we walked away with a lot of momentum.”

Proponents say incorporation would allow the local government to recoup millions of dollars each year from tens of thousands of workers who live outside the township if a 1 percent income tax were levied as part of the initiative.

Zerkle said the income tax could eliminate the need for police and fire levies — at least one of which is expected to appear on a ballot sometime next year — which raised just more than $20 million in property taxes in 2007. A Lakota Schools levy is also expected in the near future.

Opponents say incorporation would kill the township’s ability to govern itself efficiently and draw businesses swooned by the absence of income taxes, except in special circumstances.

Zerkle says those who would like more information may call (513) 227-7672 or e-mail bzerkle@mac.com by Nov. 1.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2112 or dgreber@coxohio.com.

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Let's see here. Over 25,000 people in WC voted last Tuesday. They got 1200-1500 signatures, that's about 5% of the voters. If you have been circulating petitions since June and after last Tuesday, you only have that many signatures, that tells me that either the incorporation group has no workers or people are wise enough not to sign the petitions because they're not buying the lies. If that's "momentum" then they better hire ACORN to help them finish the job.

Not Impressed
5:15 PM, 11/9/2009

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Let it go to vote, what will be will be.

End the conversation.

maude
12:43 PM, 11/9/2009

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As a business owner I asure you if passed, I will relocate outside of West Chester.

ACS
12:09 PM, 11/9/2009

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