Commissioner Jeff Fix outlines Fairfield County strategy to manage growth, expand housing, transit and workforce training

Commissioner Jeff Fix spoke to residents and stakeholders about Fairfield County’s approach to rapid growth, saying the county views expansion as an opportunity that requires coordinated investment in infrastructure, workforce training, housing and transportation.

Fix framed the plan as a four-part strategy: build the infrastructure needed for new development; train residents for local jobs; expand transit so workers can reach employers; and increase affordable workforce housing. "We see growth as an opportunity," he said, arguing that planned density and targeted investments can preserve land while protecting current taxpayers.

The county’s Workforce Development Center sits at the center of the strategy, Fix said, and is run in partnership with Hocking College, Ohio University and local school districts to prepare students for skilled trades and technical roles. He said Fairfield County has added industry-focused facilities, including "a tech lab for Intel" and a "robotics lab" used by firms such as Anduril, to align training with employer needs.

Fix also outlined financing tools and land-use choices the county favors. He described a "new community authority" that would place development-related charges on incoming development so existing residents would not have to vote for new levies for fire, road or school services. He characterized the tool as a way to have newcomers fund incremental service needs tied to growth; he did not specify dollar amounts or precise legal code references in the remarks.

On transportation, Fix said the county purchased the Fairfield Lancaster Transit System from the city of Lancaster and is expanding service in partnership with employers and state agencies to improve worker access to jobs. On childcare, he described plans for a pilot "tri-share" program in which state, employer and parent contributions would each cover part of childcare costs; he said the county is working with the state and the local education service center but did not provide funding totals or a timeline.

Fix emphasized the county’s collaborative approach with townships, villages and regional bodies. He said Fairfield County was asked to co-chair the Central Ohio Housing Coalition with Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and to join the executive board of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission because of its multi-pronged housing strategy. He credited local leadership, naming Commissioners Lavy and Davis, for helping the county gain influence in regional planning conversations.

The remarks were a policy and public‑engagement outline rather than a request for immediate board action; no motion, vote or formal resolution was recorded in the transcript. Fix’s presentation identified programs, partnerships and policy tools the county plans to use as it prepares for continued growth.

What Fix did not provide in these remarks were budget figures, specific timelines for the tri-share pilot, or formal ordinance or statute citations for the "new community authority." He also named several elected officials and agencies as partners but did not always specify their offices or titles when doing so; that ambiguity is noted where it appears in his remarks.

Commissioner Jeff Fix concluded by stressing that Fairfield County aims to lead in regional solutions for housing and workforce needs and said the county is well positioned to build to that future.