Mount Vernon council approves initial steps to add Liberty Crossing to New Community Authority, advance TIF measures

Mount Vernon City Council members on May 12 moved to add Liberty Crossing to the Mount Vernon New Community Authority (NCA) and advanced related tax-increment financing measures that city staff say are needed to fund public infrastructure for the Liberty Crossing development.

City officials said the package includes three tools: a commercial TIF over the multifamily portion of the site, a residential incentive-district TIF over the remainder of the site, and the NCA’s community development charges. Michael Ringle, a city staff member who outlined the approvals timeline, said the NCA will issue debt to pay for the infrastructure and the city will adopt revenue tools to secure repayment. "That entity at a high level will be issuing the debt that's needed to pay for all the public infrastructure," Ringle said.

Council members adopted, as amended, an ordinance authorizing the filing of a petition to add parcels to the NCA and adopted a companion ordinance declaring the petition sufficient and setting a hearing, both steps required under Ohio law. The council also adopted Resolution 2025-56, which delineates an overlay for the Liberty Crossing incentive district and adopts a written economic development plan under Ohio Revised Code section 5709.4. Council gave first readings to two TIF ordinances (one commercial, one residential incentive district) and to related tax-exemption/TIF ordinances; those TIF ordinances will return for additional readings and a public hearing before final adoption.

Sam Filkins of the Area Development Foundation described how the NCA and the related charges work, saying the developer opts into the NCA and the community development charge is paid by purchasers who choose to buy in: "The NCA is a new community authority. That is an extra millage that the people who will buy into that community are opting into to help pay for that infrastructure," Filkins said. Filkins said the property currently produces about $2,800 in taxes annually and that the city has structured the TIFs to "hold the schools harmless"—providing schools full funding from the new development’s tax receipts for the first 30 years, with taxing authorities receiving the net tax revenues after year 30.

City staff and outside counsel said notices on the proposed TIFs and NCA addition must be provided to the Mount Vernon City School District, the Knox County Career Center and the Knox County Board of Commissioners; staff also said the county has an opt-out right for county agencies with residential incentive-district TIFs. Ringle described an implementation timeline that includes at least three public notices/readings for the NCA petition, a 3‑week newspaper notice, subsequent readings for the commercial and residential TIF ordinances, filings with the county auditor to start the tax-exemption process, and additional agreements among the city, developer and the NCA to secure bonds and trustee arrangements. Ringle told council the NCA board could meet the week of June 23 to add the property after the council’s authorizations.

Council members amended the petition language to correct owner names and to add parcel numbers before adopting the ordinance. The amendment replaced an earlier owner name (RJM Land Development LTD) with Liberty Crossing MDG LLC and MTV 332 LLC and added three parcel identifiers: 66-00501.000, 66-00501.006 and 66-00501.007.

Council members and city officials stressed public communications to explain the measures to residents. Mayor Starr said the measures are intended to "protect the city" and "protect the taxpayers" by using the described financing structure rather than relying solely on city general revenues. He and staff also described how early bond proceeds or private placements tied to NCA levies would provide upfront funds to build water, sewer and road improvements; those levies and the TIF receipts would then repay the debt over time.

What remains: the commercial and residential TIF ordinances will return for additional readings and public hearings before final adoption; the NCA petition process includes a public hearing and a final council vote after notices and the statutorily required review period. Council also confirmed two appointments to the NCA board (Resolutions 2025-54 and 2025-55) at the meeting.

Ending: City staff said they will continue to work with the developer, the county and the school district and will present additional readings, notices and public hearings on the schedule they outlined.