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Downtown Chillicothe asks Ross County for $50,000 to expand downtown programming and amphitheater use
Summary
Downtown Chillicothe requested $50,000 to support 2030 strategic goals including Christmas lights, downtown flowers, mural restoration, alley improvements and programming for the new amphitheater; county officials praised the work but asked for detailed line‑item use before committing.
Downtown Chillicothe representatives asked the Ross County Land Bank board for $50,000 to help scale a 2030 strategic plan that would fund seasonal programming, public‑realm improvements and staffing to support an amphitheater and downtown activation.
Tiffany Baldwin, the organization's program manager, said the money would support specific line items the group has been funding: roughly $12,000 for downtown Christmas lights this year and about $17,000 for year‑round floral displays. She told the board the organization is also planning mural restoration and alley‑lighting projects and may need to expand staff to program the amphitheater on a weekly basis rather than only for occasional events.
Board members welcomed the presentation and described Downtown Chillicothe’s recent results as evidence of momentum, but several said they needed clearer, itemized justification for any county taxpayer contribution. A board member said the county typically requires specificity about “what that’s buying” before approving requests for taxpayer funds; presenters acknowledged that their submitted request form did not include a fully itemized budget.
County board members suggested several possible next steps: (1) provide staff time and partnership to align downtown programming to county objectives, (2) consider a one‑time pilot contribution versus an ongoing annual commitment, and (3) ask the organization to return with a detailed, line‑by‑line budget showing how a county contribution would be spent and measured.
No formal county commitment or vote on the $50,000 request was recorded at the meeting; board members said they would discuss the item internally and follow up with Downtown Chillicothe about a more detailed proposal.
