Community centers may sound harmless – even inspiring – on paper. But in reality, they’re some of the most expensive, long-term commitments a city can make, and too often they’re pushed forward without the people footing the bill – the TAXPAYERS – ever having a real say. That’s why Keep Grove City Honest exists: to make sure our elected officials and candidates pledge, publicly and unequivocally, that no community center will be built here without a direct vote of the people.
 

We’ve seen what happens when city councils ignore their residents. Back in 2015, Upper Arlington’s council advanced several parks and recreations projects without meaningful public input. The backlash was so intense that a recall campaign nearly succeeded. Only then did the council commit to an advisory vote, giving residents the chance to weigh in before tens of millions of their tax dollars were committed. Grove City should learn from that mistake – not repeat it.

The stakes are too high to leave this to politics-as-usual. A community center isn’t a splash pad or a playground; it’s a massive, multi-million-dollar facility that costs taxpayers not just once, but year after year in maintenance, staffing, and subsidies. Once built, it’s nearly impossible to undo, and taxpayers will still be paying for it long after the ribbon is cut. City leaders should have no problem putting a project of that magnitude before voters if it’s truly something the community wants. 

Some will argue that city council “knows best” or that they were elected to make these decisions for us. But representation is not a blank check. Projects of this size and consequence deserve more than a line-item vote at city hall – they deserve a clear mandate from the people expected to pay for them.

It’s simple: Grove City residents deserve a voice in decisions that shape our community and our tax bills for decades to come. Let’s demand that every city council candidate and current member sign a pledge: No community center without a community vote. If they won’t, we should ask ourselves why – and whether they deserve our support at all.