Letters to the editor

On economic development I am one who often thinks of the old saying "Believe 50% of what you see, 25% of what you hear and nothing that you read." One day we read where the city will again have a deficit budget of millions, then, on another day, we read that the city is giving a Columbus developer a 75% tax abatement for 15 years. We are expected to provide some infrastructure, put a strain on our police and fire departments and lose a 50% upcharge of city water due to the land being annexed. What is in it for the city of Findlay? Sounds like a great deal for the Columbus developer and friends. I wonder if local developers get the same treatment? Columbus developers don't give a crap about the city of Findlay except how much money they can make. Two thousand dollars a month rent on several hundred units is a lot of money going to Columbus. Are we going to be asked to increase our very low 1% income tax sometime soon? I'm sure the Columbus developer will say that the city will benefit from the income of all those renters. I agree with our city auditor, a person who should know about the financial health of our city. We need to slow down the city's involvement with private organizations for our economic development. The problem with public/private collaboration is representation. Also, privity is needed when a large company wishes to build in or adjacent to the city. Sharing this information with private organizations is where things could go wrong. However, I'm sure that our Columbus connections will prevail and our city will grow and prosper. Pete Sehnert Findlay