Sugarcreek Twp. and Centerville officials have swapped a series of counter-offers over several months in an attempt to resolve their differences over how to pay for fire and EMS services provided to the Cornerstone property that Centerville annexed from Sugarcreek Twp. nine years ago. The annexation itself triggered a lengthy legal dispute.
Sugarcreek Twp. officials say Centerville — which does not have its own fire department — is not offering enough money from its tax collection on the annexed Cornerstone property to cover the township fire department’s operating costs in covering the large-scale development.
Oberer Companies says in its lawsuit that it has already paid taxes to the township in 2013 and 2014 for fire and EMS services. This is the third lawsuit to be filed over the matter.
Costco Wholesale opened a year ago on the Cornerstone property along Wilmington Pike near I-675, and a Cabela’s outdoor store is under construction. Smaller businesses are open or gearing up to open in the coming weeks.
The township is currently providing fire and EMS services to the businesses. But Sugarcreek Twp. officials announced last month that they would exclude Cornerstone from a fire district that it will form in 2017. Oberer told this newspaper last month that the township’s action “is unfair, and, more importantly, creates unnecessary risks for everyone in the area, including the township’s own residents” who will travel in the Cornerstone area.
Sugarcreek Twp. Administrator Barry Tiffany said Wednesday that he had not yet seen the lawsuit, but added that the township’s dispute is not with Oberer. The developer “probably needs to sue the city of Centerville, too,” the township administrator said.
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