Russ for Ross

On November 17, 2021, Ross Township and the City of Hamilton entered into a contract known as the Ross-Hamilton JEDD1, affectionately known as the JEDD. The acronym JEDD stands for Joint Economic Development District. The following is a quote from the Journal News, September 28, 2021, just prior to the formal signing.

"Those improvements will be needed because of development that will happen because of Hamilton’s gigantic indoor sports complex expected to open early next year in Hamilton. In creating Ross-Hamilton Joint Economic Development District 1, the township and city agreed that if any hotels are created on the several properties included in the district, those hotels will be required to add a tax to rooms that will help finance parking areas for the $165 million Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill facility. Those who work or live on the properties in the JEDD Ross-Hamilton JEDD will have to pay 2 percent income taxes, the same amount collected by in Hamilton. That will be the funding source for infrastructure improvements, such as new streets, sewers, or utilities. Companies on those properties will pay net profits taxes. The hotel tax will go to Spooky Nook parking, with the idea the sports complex is creating demand for the hotels. As part of their pact, the township agreed to do all it can to incorporate the JEDD areas under jurisdiction of the Hamilton Community Authority, created to raise funding for Spooky Nook parking and other amenities, such as transportation in the area.”

After being appointed and then elected to one of the positions as a Ross Trustee, I spent countless hours with attorneys and development professionals. I poured over case law and the operations of JEDDs in other communities. More importantly, I spent countless hours speaking with the community. The information and opinions in this letter are my personal observations and must not be considered an opinion of either of the other board members or the board as a whole.

Point #1: Spooky Nook has not created a traffic headache in Ross Township.

Point #2. If and when, Spooky Nook develops and matures into what the owners and the City of Hamilton have envisioned, the traffic nightmare that we have all been promised, would first manifest itself in Miamitown due to the traffic flow from Indianapolis, Louisville, and points west of Spooky Nook. I don’t believe Miamitown is prepared for that situation.

Point #3. I talk to a lot of people in Ross, and no one wants one or two hotels around here.

Point #4. Acronyms like JEDD, NCA and TIF and the rest of the alphabet soup of developmental terms are just easy ways to say public funding. They all have their little nuances, but the bottom line is that there are some kind of public funds being used to spur, generate, or assist a private company or developer to build with not just their own money, but with your tax dollars. This JEDD also gives the City of Hamilton, albeit small, a measure of control of our community.

Points # 5a, 5b and 5c. I am not in favor of the Highs. High rises, High density & High taxes. If we have any High Rises, over two stories in height, it creates a logistical issue with our Fire Departments' ability to provide emergency services and would cost the township in excess of 2 million dollars to purchase the equipment to do so. There are conflicting reports of the effect that High density housing has on property value. I do not believe we are in a position to test the theory that apartments in a development will have a positive outcome. Common sense tells me that multifamily housing will increase the burden on our school system whose failed levies lacked the support of the voters in three consecutive elections. At this time, the financial position that the school system finds itself in is strong. With the diligence of the school board and the enthusiasm created by the hiring of Dr. William Rice, our schools are positioned to remain at the top of the Butler County rankings. Keep in mind that is all being done without a large influx of business and commercial development. A student in an apartment does not produce the level of revenue that a student in a single-family home does. High Taxes! Despite our aversion to higher taxes, relatively speaking, Ross township enjoys lower property taxes than our neighbors in more commercially developed areas. Wait a minute! I thought adding commercial development was supposed to keep property taxes down. I checked the Butler County Auditor website and found a house in West Chester built the same year as mine with similar square footage. It sat on a lot less than half the size of mine and their property taxes were 16% HIGHER. That is contradictory to what we are being told about the addition of business and commercial entities—they’re supposed to keep taxes down. Check for yourself, you’ll see that, like for like, the property taxes in areas like West Chester, Colerain, and Mason, despite the enormous amount of businesses, are higher than they are in Ross. Something is going very right, here in Ross.

Point #6. From the start of my involvement with this issue, it has been my experience that a small minority of Ross residents want the type of major development that would inevitably turn Ross Township into areas similar to those where so many have sought to leave behind. So, ask yourself, do you want that type of development here and let me know your answer. I am here to place the will of the people who elected me, first and foremost among anything else that I do. I will make it my responsibility to do as you wish, and I encourage you to email me at [email protected]. Social media tends to get a bit messy so, I don’t wish to begin a debate there. We’ll have a much more productive conversation either speaking face to face or by email.

Three years ago, information and petitions were circulated to raise awareness in an effort to strike a pause as it relates to the developmental plans for Ross. Those petitions still exist and they are filled with over a thousand signatures that were collected in 3 short weeks from a grass roots campaign to show the parties interested in this development that the people of Ross, for various, multifaceted reasons, aren't in favor of bringing this type of development here at this time. I still believe that is the case and it is the driving force of my position on this issue when considering legislation for Ross township. At our urging, the NCA was killed in December 2021 by a unanimous vote of the Butler County Commissioners. The JEDD that was enacted in 2021, was voted on in our most recent trustee meeting and will be dissolved. The reason the NCA was needed in the first place is because as the then developer said, quote “It won’t work financially at the current price the seller is asking for the property, if it’s not going to have the NCA I’m sorry I’m out, I can’t make it work.”

Ross has been here since 1803 and since 1803, Ross residents have supported the needs of Ross Township, that being the Schools, Police, Fire, EMS and Roads. We, as residents, are overwhelmingly the main source of tax funds for our schools and public services. As such, when financial needs arise, it is us that shoulder the lion’s share of the burden. However, it is us who continue to enjoy the Mayberry-esque small town that we all love. It is us who drive home from our jobs in other areas of town to be greeted by the farms and fields of a bedroom community that opens its arms to say, “welcome home.” And, it is us, who have the opportunity to enjoy events like the upcoming Memorial Day parade, Cones, Cops and Cars, the annual Ross High School tractor parade and the bragging rights for the Number 1 rated school district in all of Butler County. All that, despite the lack of major development in the town, we all call home. For now, and until you tell me that you want it to change, it is my intention to follow your will and help keep Ross as it is. So, it is to us I say, well done. The time may come when development becomes a necessary part of our continued existence, but for now, I'm going to grab a glass of tea and enjoy our town just the way it is.

When I started Ross Citizens for Sensible Development, it was a grass roots effort to create awareness and engagement for the citizens of Ross Township. At this point it has developed into so much more for me. Those of you that know me well, know how much I care for this community. My family is deeply rooted here and will continue to be. Those of you who I've yet to meet, it will be my pleasure to see you in the community, at the Trustee meetings or Township events. There is no doubt about the challenging times we live in and are being faced with in the future. As your Trustee, I will continue to place the affairs and safety of Ross Township at the top of my list of priorities. We, as a township face issues of taxes, police and fire safety and development just like every other surrounding community. What makes us different is what makes us great. We are a Mayberry-esque, bedroom community, close to the city, but with all of the country charm that a small town can give. We used to be one of the best kept secrets in the area! Not so much anymore. I look forward to doing my best, with a group of Trustees, Administrators and department heads that I have come to know and trust, to lead Ross Township in a manner that is obedient with the will of the majority of township residents and the laws of the State of Ohio. If that hasn't been your experience in the past, then today is a new day. If that is the type of leadership that you would like to have in Ross Township, then there are three people running on the ballot this November that would appreciate your vote. That would be myself, Trustee John Fisher and Fiscal Officer Julie Joyce-Smith. Trustee Keith Ballauer is safely on the Board for the upcoming election. Rest assured, all of us will answer your questions with respect and dignity and we all encourage you to engage with your local, state and federal elected officials. It is truly the best way to get your questions heard and answered.