City ‘growing its garden’ with responsible approach
It’s no secret that Huber Heights has been fortunate to create many successes out of the opportunities made available. As mayor, I have worked to make sure a core principle of economic development here in our city is to leverage economic growth to reduce the tax burdens on the individual. When continuing to look forward, we have to focus on creating opportunities for economic growth along with the financial opportunities to meet those demands.
As a city government, we are committed to providing excellent services with minimal financial impact on taxpayers, much like managing a garden. Just as a garden needs regular watering and care to thrive without wasting water, our city services require continuous funding (water) to function efficiently. If we don’t constantly seek ways to optimize our resources (use water wisely) and secure additional funding (ensure a steady water supply) to meet the growing needs of our operations (garden’s growth), we may be forced to increase taxes or service rates (use more water than preferred).
There has been a lot of talk around Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts lately and I want to emphasize again the importance that TIFs play in providing funding for infrastructure projects here in Huber Heights. Projects include things like traffic management (i.e. Old Troy Project), paving streets, installing new or the replacement of aging water and sewer lines, sidewalks, water treatment plant improvements, stormwater drains, park improvements, and the list goes on. Without mechanisms like TIF and others, the city would have to look at substantially increasing usage rates outside a normal increase or raising taxes to cover these costs, which is something we try to avoid doing.
Just a friendly reminder that city council actions are still posted on the city website and can be found at www.hhoh.org under the Government tab > Council > Council Actions.
Here you will be able to quickly see and read all recommended actions from the work sessions and the subsequent action taken at the council meetings. My intent for this section of the website is to allow you to have a quick place to go to stay up to date on all legislative agenda items.
As always, I want to continue to encourage everyone to attend in person or tune in to Board and Commission meetings, City Council work sessions, and City Council meetings through the “Watch Live” feature at www.hhoh.org. By engaging this way, it not only helps you to stay up to date with what is happening in our wonderful city, but it can provide you an opportunity to provide feedback, voice your concerns, and gain valuable insight into decision-making processes that impact the entire community.