Lucas County economic development department outlines $2.8 million plan centered on retention, site prep and regulatory efficiency

Deputy Administrator Matt Hyman presented the Lucas County economic development department's strategy and a proposed $2.8 million appropriation for the coming year.

Hyman said the department will operate on four pillars: business retention and expansion; site development (shovel-ready sites); regulatory efficiency; and participation in an innovation ecosystem that works with the University of Toledo and the Northwest Ohio Innovation Center. "When these are the three most important metrics that any economic development organization and community can measure themselves against, capital investment made, job creation and median income," Hyman said.

Hyman outlined the proposed budget flow: roughly $679,000 would remain within the county department for administration and $2.15 million would be distributed to the Lucas County Economic Development Corporation for programming, revolving loans and project support. He said about $1.5 million of that allocation continues, per a recent commissioners' resolution, to support investments tied to the downtown convention center and hotel project.

The presentation included performance context: over the last several years the county ranked 10th for capital investment, 21st for job creation and 60th for median income in Ohio, indicating room for improvement, Hyman said. He described a revolving-loan program, Lucas County Build, and projected a return of loan payments that would grow the fund over the next five years.

No final appropriation vote was taken at the hearing; the presentation informed the board's forthcoming budget deliberations.