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Butler County Finance Authority highlights downtown investment, loan programs and a manufacturer outreach series
Summary
BCFA President Joshua Smith briefed commissioners on 2025 highlights including a $15 million catalytic fund for downtown Middletown, a $3.5 million jobs-and-development bond reserve and a $500,000 revolving loan placed with the Southwest Ohio Improvement Fund to support manufacturing and small-business projects.
Joshua Smith, president and CEO of the Butler County Finance Authority, told the Board of Commissioners on April 14 that the authority’s 2025 work focused on unlocking capital, supporting downtown Middletown and creating small-business loan tools.
Smith said the commission’s $15 million catalytic investment fund for downtown Middletown was a key driver to secure a development agreement for the former Manchester hotel site; he described potential total private investment for the initial projects as rising toward $30 million. He also summarized a $3.5 million reserve and jobs-and-development bond fund established with contributions from the county and the cities of Hamilton and Middletown; a recent credit committee considered three separate projects that together could represent more than $200 million in total investment, Smith said.
On financing tools, Smith said the authority moved $500,000 into the Southwest Ohio Improvement Fund, a certified development entity and 501(c)(3), to operate a revolving loan fund. He described two main uses: up to $100,000 loans targeted to manufacturers for equipment acquisition and smaller discretionary loans up to $50,000 to support community-level projects. "The Butler County Finance Authority moved $500,000 into the Southwest Ohio Improvement Fund," Smith said, describing CDE status and eligibility to apply for new markets tax credits.
Smith also described four regional partnerships the BCFA now manages, including the Middletown Port Authority and the I‑75 Energy Special Improvement District, and a countywide manufacturer outreach effort — a monthly "We Make" series and one‑page highlights intended to raise awareness of local production capacity.
Commissioners asked about county population estimates and whether the BCFA has a concise "sound bite" for promotion; Smith said he had seen updated population estimates suggesting Butler County may now be over 400,000 and committed to provide a compiled manufacturers list and employment estimates to the commission.
Why it matters: The BCFA presentation outlines county-backed capital tools intended to attract private investment, support manufacturing job growth and make more shovel-ready sites available for development, which can influence local tax base, employment and land use.
What’s next: Smith said staff would circulate the manufacturers list when finalized and that the BCFA will bring a resolution to authorize the health-care procurement process at the next meeting (procurement was discussed separately by administrator staff).
