To the editor:

The current road repair levy expires at the end of this year, and driving the roads of Sidney, one has to believe that the job isn’t getting done with current funding. So how does council believe they can get the roads repaired with 40 percent less dollars? The levy the city seeks on May 7 will cut current road repair dollars 40 percent and increase the city’s permanent income tax from 1.5 to 1.8.

The proposed third fire station will cost $4.3 million for construction with $13.7 million to operate for an eight year period. Cities throughout the state use the National Fire Protection Association 1710 standards and are applicable to both Piqua and Sidney. A satisfactory explanation cannot be obtained as to why with almost identical populations and square miles covered, Piqua has one fire station and Sidney wants a third fire station.

According to the Census, the city of Sidney has had a declining population since 2010, no population growth has occurred since that time and the city has been satisfactory covered by our fire department. City Council has answered questions yet I don’t believe the taxpayers would have been told about the tax increase being permanent, if not asked directly.

Good government would not propose a 20 percent tax increase (current levy to the proposed one) in a good economy to build a fire station that cannot justify its own levy. Tying road repair to the firehouse is bad government. Vote “against” the city’s tax increase on May 7. Keep roads and fire station separate.

John Adams

Sidney