Knox County holds hearing on raising maintenance-fund cap for North Branch of Ford Creek

Knox County commissioners held a public hearing on Dec. 16 at the Mount Vernon Memorial Theater to discuss raising the maintenance-fund cap for the North Branch of Ford Creek drainage project from about $4,680 to a recalculated statutory maximum staff estimated at roughly $57,000.

Commissioner Bill Purcell opened the meeting and said the hearing’s sole purpose was to set a new permanent assessment base cap; he noted the board intends to decide whether to adjust the cap at its Dec. 23 meeting and that separate annual assessments are set each May. “The maintenance fund cap is currently $4,680,” Purcell said.

Rob Clendenny, the county’s soil and conservation administrator, and County Engineer Cameron Keaton described the legal framework and the calculation behind the proposed cap. Clendenny cited the Ohio Revised Code provisions governing single-county drainage improvements and maintenance funds and said statute limits an unencumbered maintenance-fund balance to no more than 20% of the permanent assessment base. Keaton said he used the original 1976 engineer’s estimate and updated the three original line items—excavation, clearing and seeding—at today’s unit costs to produce a maintenance-cap figure staff presented as about $57,001.92. Keaton also offered a modern rebuild estimate of about $285,960.

Keaton summarized typical maintenance work—mowing and spraying for woody vegetation—and estimated those two recurring treatments cost roughly $6,000 per year for the ditch in question. He and Clendenny emphasized that the cap is an accumulation limit, not an immediate tax increase: the cap sets the maximum money that can be held in the dedicated Ford Creek maintenance fund, while commissioners decide each May how much of the fund is billed to property owners in a given year.

Several residents sought clarity on tax impacts. Linda Schlegel asked whether the change would produce a 1,200% increase in taxes; staff reiterated that raising the maintenance-fund cap does not itself change annual assessments or require a ballot measure. Staff said the county plans to be mindful of affordability and avoid sudden, large one-year assessments. As an example of current levies, staff noted a typical individual’s current contribution to the maintenance fund is about $7.13 per year, while two sample proposed options showed potential annual per-parcel increases to about $14.27 or $17.61 depending on the approach.

Attendees raised mapping and parcel questions. Staff explained that improved GIS and topographic data changed some watershed boundaries since 1977 and that inclusion on the assessment list is proportionate to the acreage of each parcel that drains to the maintained portion of the watershed. Residents who believe they were incorrectly included were asked to provide name and parcel information so staff can verify and, if necessary, correct the maps.

Staff reported there are about 132 parcels in the watershed and the Ford Creek maintenance fund currently holds approximately $4,418.78, with calendar-year 2025 receipts of about $2,409.85. By contrast, routine mowing and spraying run about $6,000 per year, so the existing cap has limited the county’s ability to perform even basic maintenance without supplementing funds or increasing annual assessments.

Clendenny and Keaton presented two illustrative options for annual assessment levels intended to bring the maintenance account closer to a sustainable level. One option would collect roughly $5,719 per year for the watershed—close to the reported annual mowing-and-spraying budget—but staff said that even that level may only “tread water” when routine maintenance and intermittent repair needs are both considered. Commissioners and staff acknowledged owners’ concerns about large caps and said the cap-setting decision is distinct from the annual May assessment decisions.

Staff explained that expanding the maintained area or adding new parcels would require a separate petition and hearing under the same statutory process; they also said the maintenance fund can be used only for the specific improvement for which it was established. Clendenny noted that Ohio EPA, the U.S. EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers add complexity to constructing or extending ditch projects today.

The board said it will consider the cap at its Dec. 23, 2025, 10:00 a.m. meeting; staff will present options and the commissioners will determine the cap. Any change to the annual assessments charged to property owners would be set and announced in the normal May assessment process. Residents were encouraged to provide written comments, contact the commissioners’ office, or leave email contact on the sign-in sheet for advance notification.

The hearing ended with commissioners thanking attendees for their input and adjourning. The next formal step is the Dec. 23 meeting, when the commissioners are scheduled to decide whether to change the maintenance-fund cap.