Posted: 6:08 p.m.Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015

Land bank won’t ask for bigger cut ofdelinquent taxes for now

By Denise G. Callahan

Staff Writer

BUTLER COUNTY — 

Membersof the Butler County Land Bank agreed this week that it’s too soon to bump upthe percentage of delinquent tax money being funneled into theblight-eliminating program, despite growing interest from local communities.

Boardmember Dan Acton raised the prospect of doubling the percentage of delinquenttaxes that currently come into the program from 1 percent to 2 percent.

Butler County commissioners agreed last summer totake 1 percent of delinquent tax and assessment collection funds (DTAC) tobolster the land bank and open up services for the entire county. DTAC fundsare late payment penalties on real estate taxes. The blight eradication agencyis expected to collect about $155,000 from it’s first annual installment ofDTAC funds.

Acton asked if they shouldn’t explore asking thecommissioners to raise the percentage given the growing number of jurisdictions— Fairfield, Hanover,Liberty and Ross townships and the city of Trenton — that havejoined since the the economic development tool was opened up countywide.

“Perhapsdown the road with the other participating communities, not to take it up tothe five, but see how this goes, obviously the interest and the need is there,”Acton said. “It doesn’t appear as though any more large chunks (of funding) arecoming in anytime soon, so perhaps we should have that chat at some point,about going up just a little bit, maybe to two (percent).”

County TreasurerNancy Nix, who chairs the land bank board, said Butler Countyis one of few, if the not the only land bank to only take 1 percent, the restin the state get 5 percent. A jump to 5 percent would garner about $775,584,and 2 percent would just about double current DTAC revenues.

Upuntil now the county’s two largest cities have been the sole beneficiaries of$4.6 million in outside funding, but Hamiltonand Middletownalso chipped in $1.2 million apiece in matching money to get the $2.6 millionMoving Ohio Forward funds. The land bank just recently awarded DTAC funds toRoss Twp. for up to $5,000 to demolish a building and up to $16,000 to Hamilton to take down aramshackle house that is sandwiched between two commercial buildings on Main Street.

ExecutiveDirector Mike McNamara recommended the board wait on asking for more moneyuntil it sees the results of a Miami University study beingconducted on the land bank program to date.

“Itmight give us an idea how successful we’ve been, and what we could do withincreased funding,” he said.

MiddletownCity Manager Doug Adkins also urged patience.

“Ithink there is an advantage to running where we’re at just for the short termand showing some more successes just at the one percent,” Adkins said. “Thetime I think to make that ask is when the one percent is tapped, and we stillhave more need and requests we can’t fulfill.”

Nixsaid depending on when they might ask and the commissioners might grant anincrease, there could be about a year delay before they would receive newfunding.

County Administrator Charlie Young saidthe commissioners are always keeping “a close eye” on the land bank becausetheir foremost concern is whether the expenditure benefits the taxpayers.

“It’sgot to prove that it’s worth the investment,” Young said.

Theentity most impacted by the diverted DTAC funds are the Lakota Schools. Theytook a $28,000 hit with the 1 percent, and a 2-percent hike would take theirrevenue reduction to almost $56,000. The statewide norm of five percent wouldsuck almost $140,000 out of Lakota’s budget.

Lakotaspokesman Randy Oppenheimer said there is more than one way of looking at thediverted funds.

“Theamount of money is what the amount of money is, if it’s another $28,000 that’s$28,000,” he said. “We understand that the county commissioners are trying tosupport needs throughout the county, and often times those needs benefit theschools in another way. Good economic development is good for schools.”

Posted: 7:00 p.m.Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015

County land bank beats blight-busting fundingdeadline

By Denise G. Callahan

Staff Writer

BUTLER COUNTY — 

Thecity of Hamiltonis working to quickly purchase 40 blighted properties before a Septemberdeadline so as not to risk losing future federal funding for the county landbank program.

TheButler County Land Bank is already at the 80-parcel quota to receive $2 millionin federal funds.

“Ourconcern is if we don’t maximize the funding, the next time any funds areavailable, that they’re not going to look and say well they did their 40properties,” said Chris Hacker, the acting land bank administrator for Hamilton. “That they’regoing to say they only spent $1.2 of the $2 million we granted. And we don’twant to miss out if there is any more money available because it looked like weweren’t trying.”

InHamilton, 59blighted properties have been secured and seven property transfers are pending.In Middletown,21 eyesores have been acquired for a total of the requisite 80. The cities arefronting the money and so far Hamilton hasdeposited $428,000 with the land bank for eventual reimbursement of federalfunds and Middletownhas spent $80,000 with another $100,000 forthcoming, according to land bankExecutive Director Mike McNamara.

Hackersaid the $2 million was based on a maximum $25,000 per-demolition cost, but inreality they have only been paying in the neighborhood of $16,000. He said theyhope to raze a total of 100 eye sores in Hamiltonalone, under the federal blight program.

Underthe Moving Ohio Forward grant, Butler County spent $4.6 million razing 511 ailingstructures in Hamilton and Middletown. For the federal blightelimination program, they needed to acquire 40 blighted properties collectivelyby March 31 and another 40 by the end of September, in order to keep a $2million in Hardest Hit Fund monies. They ended up culling 44 by the firstdeadline.

McNamarasaid in Hamilton215 properties were demolished with Moving Ohio Forward monies. Hacker said 51parcels have been re-purposed and seven more will be presented to the citycouncil for consideration in September. Middletownup until this point had not assumed ownership of any properties becauseofficials said the city shouldn’t be in the real estate business.

MiddletownMayor Larry Mulligan said the city has had a hard time culling properties thatqualify under the parameters of the federal program, but the funding hasallowed them to make a dent in downing dilapidated buildings.

“We’vemade progress but there is more work to do,” he said. “Every dollar we can puttowards addressing it (blight) either through demolition or rehab is going tohelp improve the city.”

Upuntil now the two major cities have been the only beneficiaries of the blightelimination dollars. Last summer the Butler County commissionersagreed to siphon 1 percent of delinquent tax and assessment collection funds(DTAC) to bolster the land bank and open up services for the entire county.DTAC funds are late payment penalties on real estate taxes. County TreasurerNancy Nixestimated the 1 percent would garner about $155,000.

Theland bank now has signed memorandum of understanding with Fairfield,Liberty and Ross townships and the city of Trenton. The land bankboard is expected to sign a deal with Hanover Twp. at its Monday meeting.Township Administrator Bruce Henry said the township has been eyeing a couplerough properties they would like to tear down and the countywide tool would bebeneficial.

“Ifyou didn’t have any of these funding sources you attach a lien to the property,which we have done in the past, we’ve condemned a property, essentially leveledit and cleaned up the site and then attached a substantial lien on theproperty,” he said. “But in our case it took us over five years to recover thatlien and we’re not big enough to take that hit. So that’s why we’re looking atthe land bank and other sources of community block grant funding.”

Disposition of properties obtained by Hamiltonthrough the land bank

PropertiesHamilton wantsto keep for future projects: 82

Thecity has sold: 37

Parcelsdonated: 14

Sale or possible donationpending: 12

Propertiesavailable: 196

Total:341

Source: City of Hamilton