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Council debates Miller Farms development financing; TIF and NCA options on table
Summary
Council members discussed proposed Miller Farms development financing options including residential and commercial TIFs and a New Community Authority (NCA). No formal votes were taken; staff provided preliminary revenue modeling and council expressed mixed support.
Canal Winchester councilmembers spent an extended portion of the March 17 meeting discussing financing tools for the proposed Miller Farms development, including tax increment financing (TIF) and a New Community Authority (NCA). No binding decisions were made; council asked staff for further modeling and confirmed they retain leverage until development agreements are executed.
Development staff described options for combining a residential TIF, commercial TIF and an NCA to fund infrastructure and reimburse developer costs. Development Director Luke Hare and City Administrator Matt Peoples explained the mechanics: the city can establish a TIF before development to capture incremental real estate-tax growth; an NCA typically is implemented by the property owner and can be structured in a development agreement. Hare summarized modeling that a 3-mill NCA on the single-family portion could generate roughly $150,000 a year; a residential TIF modeled over 30 years could generate several million dollars depending on assumptions.
Councilmembers expressed differing views. Councilmember Shea and Councilmember Moore said they favored capturing revenue through a combination of TIF and NCA to help pay for future service needs arising from denser development. "We should do that and also use an NCA on top of it," Moore said. Other members urged caution so as not to price homes out of the market. Councilmember Buskirk and Councilmember Amick noted that townships sometimes use NCAs because they lack direct municipal income-tax authority.
Staff clarified timing: zoning and initial council approval can proceed without immediately finalizing a TIF or NCA; the city generally retains leverage and can draft a development agreement that specifies reimbursement, oversizing of utilities and the timing of any tax tools. Hare said developers had indicated willingness to consider NCAs as part of negotiations. Council asked staff to return with more precise modeling (including the multifamily/commercial component), and to show estimated tax impacts on a per-household basis under several millage scenarios.
No ordinance or development agreement was adopted at the March 17 meeting. Councilmembers signaled a desire to preserve options and to continue negotiations that would aim to offset the city’s infrastructure and service costs if the project proceeds.
