The Butler County commissioners received $74.4 million in pandemic relief from the federal government and decided to share the wealth with other entities and jurisdictions. So far, they have authorized 23 projects totaling $68.4 million.
President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) into law March 11, 2021 and it allocated $350 billion to help local governments with pains caused by the coronavirus pandemic. When the commissioners learned of the windfall last year, they invited other governments and entities to pitch projects, the requests totaled in excess of $200 million.
They awarded the first batch of funding totaling $52.4 million in July giving a large amount — $20 million total — to educational endeavors, namely $15 million to Butler Tech for new advanced technology centers for aviation in Middletown and advanced manufacturing in Hamilton and $5 million for Miami University’s College@Elm workforce center.
The second round of funding came a couple weeks ago, including $16.1 million for city and township infrastructure projects, parks, a community center and a non-profits package.
Some of the other larger awards were $10 million for countywide high-speed internet, $10 million over the next two years to help the townships with paving projects and $3 million each to Fairfield, Hamilton and Middletown for projects like downing the decimated Middletown Paperboard site.
The commissioners have roughly $6.3 million — including interest earned — to award. Commissioner Don Dixon has said this was not just matter of picking projects because they are ultimately responsible for how the funds are spent and must ensure the entities who received the funds follow the federal rules.
“That takes time, everybody says why don’t you spend it? Spend it, spend it, spend it, give it to us,” Dixon said. “There’s a reason they made it 2026 (for the funds) to be committed. How do you spend $75 million in two years and really justify it, and account for it and put it to a good use, and know it went to a good use, that’s no easy job.”
Taxes going up after tax rollbacks end and county auditor loses battle with the state
Since the county commissioners and Board of Developmental Disabilities erased property tax rollbacks for next year and County Auditor Roger Reynolds lost his appeal over property value hikes, taxes are going to increase for many next year.
The county commissioners won’t repeat an $18.5 million property tax rollback next year, a break that amounted to about $67 per $100,000 in valuation.
The DD Board also said it will be ending a rollback of $3.6 million in tax collections after two years. The rollback has amounted on average to $17.50 per $100,000 of property value annually.
Reynolds waged a two-year effort with Ohio Tax Commissioner Jeffrey McClain over mandated 2020 property value increases> he lost this year and as a result residential and agricultural property values will increase as follows: Fairfield from 17.2% to 20%; Fairfield Twp. from 16.7% to 23%; Hamilton from 15.6% to 20% and West Chester Twp. from 13.5% to 20%.
Reynolds’ revised value hikes — which make up more than 50% of the county’s residential tax base — have been in place pending the appeal.
Taxpayers in the disputed areas will see retroactive billing on their first half tax bill next year reflecting the higher rates from 2020 and 2021.
Public servants accused of misdeeds
This year, three Butler County elected officials have been accused of using their elected offices for personal gain. The most serious allegations were lodged against Reynolds.
He was indicted in February on five counts for bribery and leveraging his public office to further his own interests on charges related to trying to help his family develop land in West Chester Twp. A third felony was added in July for him allegedly asking Lakota Schools officials to use $750,000 of the unspent fees he routinely returns to taxing bodies each year for a golf academy at Four Bridges Golf Course, where his family lives.
Reynolds always maintained his innocence and even ran for re-election and won with 67% of the vote in November.
Reynolds was found guilty on Wednesday on the felony count that was added in July. He was found not guilty on the other four counts, including three felonies and one misdemeanor.
Madison Twp. Trustee Alan Daniel was indicted on five counts in September alleging he also used his office for his own gain, both as a member of the Butler County Rural Zoning Commission and as a trustee.
The charges allege Daniel voted on several zoning variances for properties his son, Todd Daniel, owned at the corner of Keister and Middletown Germantown roads, clearing the way for a new Dollar General store.
Daniel held the mortgage on the two properties in question that were owned by his son at the time of the BZA vote. If he had not participated in the vote, it would not have passed for lack of a quorum on the board.
An audit was released in July that said Daniel voted on 36 road department ordinances in 2018 and 2019 when he should have abstained because his son is road supervisor.
Former Morgan Twp. Administrator/Fire Chief Jeff Galloway hasn’t been charged with any crimes but resigned recently amid allegations he double-dipped his salary while deployed on an EMA mission.
Galloway was paid his regular $93,000 annual salary and also received pay the township was reimbursed by the state of Louisiana when the chief was deployed with the Ohio Emergency Management Agency to help with Hurricane Ida last year.
The state auditor’s office is still investigating.
Butler County gets funding to down Forest Fair Mall
The Butler County Lank Bank was awarded $8.7 million from the state to demolish eyesores including a giant one along Interstate 275, the old Forest Fair Mall.
When the state biennial budget passed in June 2021, it allocated $150 million for commercial and residential demolitions and $350 million for brownfield remediation. Each of the 88 counties automatically received $500,000 for demolition and $1 million for brownfield remediation, which is the removal of hazardous materials left when industrial, or even commercial such as dry cleaners blight is downed.
The remainder of the money was to be awarded on a “first come first served” basis. The land bank applied for $11.5 million to topple 51 eyesores with the the Ohio Department of Development in February and was awarded $8.7 million late last month. The bulk of it, $7.9 million, is to topple the old Forest Fair mall which straddles Fairfield and Forest Park in partnership with potential developer Hillwood Construction Services.
It appeared the demo dollars for the mostly vacant mall might be lost because of state deadlines but officials told the Journal-News that shouldn’t be the case. The Journal-News reached out to the Ohio Department of Development and Gov. Mike DeWine’s office about the May 2023 deadline and they issued a combined statement:
“If entities need an extension to their agreement, Development will begin working with them early next year,” the statement reads. “The goal of the program is to help communities tear down dilapidated buildings and revitalize the area for future economic development.”
Ravages of the pandemic still prompting evictions
The county was awarded $20.4 million in emergency rent and utility assistance money from the federal government and the money is almost gone.
The Butler County commissioners partnered with Supports to to Encourage Low-income Families (SELF) to manage the program and Executive Director Jeffrey Diver told the Journal-News they have awarded $15.3 million to 2,472 needy households with the commissioners’ federal funds and $7.8 million to 2,346 families with other grant money they have received.
The money was awarded in two tranches, the county first received $11.4 million in emergency rent and utility assistance — it was paid in a lump sum — and was promised $9.1 million in a second wave of allocations. The Treasury only sent $3.6 million of the $9 million allocation and it ran out so SELF had to briefly suspend applications.
Dealing with the U.S. Treasury has been difficult to say the least, funds have been tardy, promises broken and now they have notified recipients they are no longer accepting phone calls and reallocation of unused funds is unlikely. The county is currently out $3.4 million it was promised but U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s staff offered assistance and now it appears some of the money might be forthcoming.
Diver said they won’t have any trouble spending the funds because even though the pandemic is for all intents and purposes over, the negative effects continue.
“Demand is still high there are still a lot of people struggling due to the pandemic,” Diver said. “Even though time has passed COVID has not, we’re glad to still be here to be able to help.”
Butler County closes nursing home
As expected the Butler County commissioners announced in May they would close the Care Facility by the end of the year because of COVID-induced staff shortages, dwindling census numbers and ever changing federal and state rules.
The nursing home was empty by August and the county started work to eventually transform the facility into an Emergency Mental Health Crisis Stabilization Center. Officials have delayed the center while the county mental health board finetunes the project.
The three commissioners have remained steadfast in their commitment to keeping the skilled nursing facility afloat, loaning substantial general fund sums through the years.
“It breaks my heart to have to close, the residents and employees have become family and no one wants to cause duress to a family. Though the work during COVID/post-COVID and the toll on staff and residents no longer make sense for a county to operate a skilled nursing home facility and to care, in some instances, for critically ill residents,” Commissioner Don Dixon said. “Government doesn’t have the resources — human, capital or financial — to operate such a specialized service.”
The 109-bed facility, located at 1800 Princeton Road, opened in 1975 and for nearly a half century provided skilled nursing home care to the infirm and vulnerable populations with little alternative for care.
Sheriff dispatch fee battle finally over
The dispatch fee debate that has been going on for years ended this earlier this year.
The sheriff is charging communities who run their own police departments fees for using his dispatch center.
Bills were sent in the following annual amounts: Fairfield Twp. ($202,122) Ross Twp. ($82,078), Oxford Twp. ($36,160), New Miami ($47,524), Seven Mile ($4,336) and MetroParks ($7,019), based on dispatch usage in 2020.
Ross trustees had considered suing the sheriff over the fees and even had an attorney discuss the matter with the Butler County Prosecutor’s Office. Trustee Ellen Yordy said they were told the sheriff is well within his rights to charge the fees so their attorney came back and said, “is it even worth it?”
Everyone ended up paying their bills.
Fairfield, Middletown, Monroe, Trenton and West Chester Twp. have their own dispatch centers. Liberty Twp. pays the sheriff’s office about $3 million a year to have their own dedicated sheriff’s outpost and dispatch services are included. Hanover Twp. also has a contract with the sheriff for two dedicated deputies.
Hamilton and Oxford have their own police departments but began paying around $1.15 million and $366,319 respectively for the service several years ago. The other smaller townships and villages count on the sheriff to respond to law enforcement emergencies in their areas.
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