Hamilton County president highlights budget stability, housing and addiction response in State of the County

Denise Dreehouse, president of the Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners, used a State of the County address at Memorial Hall to outline priorities including a balanced budget, investments in housing and public safety, and continued work on addiction response and recovery programs.

Dreehouse framed the county’s focus around collaboration and fiscal stability, saying the county "is required by law to balance our budget" and noting the county has maintained reserves to protect its credit and save taxpayer dollars.

She said the county will relocate many employees to a central campus after purchasing the former Mercy Health site in the Bond Hill neighborhood, a move she said will "save millions of dollars" while bringing Jobs and Family Services, environmental services and developmental-disability services together on one campus. The commissioners also agreed to rename streets leading to the new building after Pat McCollum, a longtime foster parent whom Dreehouse said cared for more than 70 children.

Dreehouse highlighted economic-development efforts including a joint city-county redevelopment of the Convention Center District and a headquarters hotel, and said the county is one of three finalists in a competitive bid related to that work. She said more than 23% of spending on the convention center project has gone to minority-owned firms…