MOUNT VERNON — On Monday, city council members put in place the legal structure to pay for new growth, both in the Liberty Crossing development and throughout the city.
Council members passed legislation accepting the subdivision into the city’s New Community Authority and setting general NCA provisions.
They also approved two tax increment financing districts (TIFs) specific to Liberty Crossing.
No community residents attended the public hearing at 7 p.m. on Monday.
Council member Amber Keener reminded everyone that Mount Vernon created the NCA to benefit the city as a whole.
“We’re going to imagine that this is a bridge, and each of these pieces of legislation is an element to that bridge to get us to where we want to go.”
Council member Amber Keener, chair of the Land Use and Zoning Committee
“If we don’t have these tools in place, it could really cost the current tax base a lot of money. We want to offset that,” Mayor Matt Starr said.
“We want to generate funds that are going to continue to pay for infrastructure costs … which it’s a pay-to-play, so people who are going to live there are going to end up contributing to that.”
Under the TIFs, property taxes on new construction go into a TIF fund. In this case, the Liberty Crossing TIF fund. The city can use the money to pay for improvements within the Liberty Crossing TIF district.
All property owners in the NCA pay an additional assessment of 4 mills on their property taxes for as long as the NCA exists. The NCA board can modify that millage in the future if it chooses to do so.
‘A really good end result’
Specific to Liberty Crossing, 2 mills of the NCA assessment go to the city, and 2 mills go toward paying for Liberty Crossing infrastructure.
Initially, all 4 mills were going to the NCA to cover the bonds it will issue for upfront construction money.
However, Area Development Foundation President Sam Filkins pushed back, saying the city must receive 2 mills.
“It only works if growth is actually paying for growth, so we went to 6 mills,” he told council. “The developers said they were concerned that would hurt their affordability and that they could sharpen their pencil a little bit more, so they brought that down.”
“This is really a good indicator to other developers that Mount Vernon’s open for business, but it’s got to be good for Mount Vernon. I think that’s a really good message that you want to be sending to developers.”
Area Development Foundation President Sam Filkins
In addition to the 2-2 NCA split being a “really good end result” for the city and developer Highland Real Estate.
“It’s also good that we have a developer that’s willing to be mindful to not just sign up for a bunch of charges that honestly they won’t have to pay because ideally they’ll be selling these properties,” Filkins said.
Starr said Mount Vernon can use NCA funds for the new Justice Center, police station, or other projects.
Long-range city planning calls for another water tower on the south end of town, and a third fire station near the industrial park. Those projects would qualify for NCA money.
Michael Ringle of Bricker Graydon said HRE anticipates having 35 single-family and 19 patio homes built by 2027.
The first multi-family units will come online in 2028, along with an additional 109 single-family and patio homes, and 36 town homes.
Legislative action
In addition to passing legislation relating to the NCA and TIFs, council members took the following action:
•Gave a first reading to a resolution opposing Ohio House Bill 335. Council member Keener voted not to suspend the rules and take the resolution to its third reading. However, it takes six council members to suspend the rules; Councilwoman Janis Seavolt was absent.
•Suspended the rules and adopted the 2026 tax budget
•Approved supplemental appropriations
•Gave a first reading to legislation creating a code enforcement department and amending Chapter 755 of the codified ordinances relating to waste haulers
•Approved buying the Central Ohio Technical College building at 236 S. Main St. as the site of the new City Hall
