MOUNT VERNON — City Council members moved swiftly through their legislative session on Monday as they tabled seven pieces of legislation for lack of a quorum.
Councilman Mike Miller was absent, and Mount Vernon Nazarene University was honoring Councilman James Mahan for 25 years of service.
While waiting for Mahan’s arrival, council members approved a new city credit-card policy on the third reading and gave legislation creating a new 82-acre Tax Increment Finance District a first reading.
The TIF is for the area formerly known as the Beckett Annexation and Casey’s Way on Upper Gilchrist Road. It includes the current Rockford Homes and Lemmon developments, specifically covering the following parcels:
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Council members will hold a committee meeting to discuss the proposed TIF at their Sept. 9 meeting.
After Mahan arrived, council members moved through the remaining legislation again, taking the following actions.
•Suspended the rules and approved on first reading a contract with ASC Custom Woodworking at 5 E. High St.
Clipped, a hairstyling salon, formerly occupied the building. The salon is vacating the space because of a change in business operations. Law Director Rob Broeren said the city did a credit check on ASC and signed a lease.
“Because they are coming in after we already own it, we will not have any relocation requirements with them like we did with tenants who were there when we purchased the building,” he said. “This just allows us to continue to bring in money to help pay the taxes and utilities until we’re prepared to move forward on the construction project there.”
Broeren said he expects city engineers to send out a Request For Proposal for constructing the new courthouse and police department in the next two weeks.
He said the city received money from the Knox County Land Bank to demolish 6 and 8 E. Chestnut St.
“That should begin here somewhat soon,” he said.
•Suspended the rules and accepted on first reading Tax Incentive Review Commission recommendations
The Tax Incentive Review Commission reviews all Enterprise Zone (EZ) and commercial Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) incentives annually. The city has two EZs and one CRA:
- Chesterland Products/Sanoh — EZ expires 2024
- Mount Vernon Senior Living (Danbury) — EZ expires 2030
- Woodward Landlord LLC — CRA expires 2027
The TIRC recommended continuing the three tax abatements because they have met their stated job creation, payroll, and investment goals.
The three abatements created 162 new jobs worth over $5.9 million in payroll. The city collected $118,340 in income taxes in 2023, and the county saw almost $18 million in increased tax value.
“All three of those projects have done everything they said they would and a little more,” Area Development Foundation President Jeff Gottke said.
The city also has three active TIFS:
- Coshocton Avenue: 2023 income $1,625,583.21,expenses $1,515,497.41, balance $4,867,328.84
- Enterprise (Industrial) Park: income $185,263.08, expenses $157,609.49, balance $50,245.42 (expenses offset the bond, bond and TIF should sunset about the same time)
- Sandusky Street/Downtown: income $32,045.46, expenses $24,470.62, balance $92,617.07
TIFs are designated areas where tax collections on property improvements, not existing property, are redirected into a fund controlled by the city for public infrastructure upgrades.
“So when you’re talking about the improvements to Upper Gilchrist Road, north of Coshocton, … this money could be used for public infrastructure improvements, roads, water, sewer, storm water, or sidewalks,” Gottke said.
•Suspended the rules and adopted an ordinance on second reading establishing benefits for police and fire supervisory personnel retroactive to Jan. 1, 2022
Before the current one, collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) granted police and fire leadership the same leave benefits (jury pay, holiday, injury, personal, etc.) as their subordinates. Safety-service Director Tanner Salyers said that had been city policy for 20 years before 2021.
However, city officials omitted the two paragraphs relating to leave when they redid the pay ordinances in 2021.
“We are asking council to retroactively go back and make them whole commiserate to what they would have had,” Salyers said.
Police Chief Robert Morgan said he noticed the omission when there was a discrepancy in his vacation leave.
“This coming year it will affect [Fire] Chief Christopher,” Morgan said. “And a year after that, it will affect my assistant chief and two years after that, it’ll affect the assistant fire chief.”
•Suspended the rules on first reading and authorized fund transfers, payment of Then and Now bills, and supplemental appropriations
Appropriations legislation included:
- $4,000 from the Grand Chapter of Ohio, Ohio Eastern Star for K-9 Unit expenses
- $1,350,000 from Ariel Corp. for Captain Hunter’s Landing (Riverside Park splash pad)
- $1,000 from Specialty Outdoor Services for PAK United
- $35,000 from Mental Health & Recovery Board for Licking and Knox Counties for the mental health special docket
