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Dayton commission approves petition to begin citywide New Community Authority process amid equity concerns
Summary
The commission voted to accept the petition and set public hearings to establish a citywide New Community Authority (NCA), a voluntary tool to collect community development charges for downtown projects; supporters say it unlocks new revenue, critics warned the emergency timing and community benefit commitments were unclear.
The Dayton City Commission on a 5-0 vote declared the petition to create a citywide New Community Authority (NCA) sufficient and set the required public hearings, opening a multi-step process under Ohio law that could permit voluntary community development charges on participating properties.
Proponents said the NCA will be a flexible financing tool to capture visitor- and user-based revenues downtown so the city can reinvest in public infrastructure without relying solely on general funds. “We looked at 14–15 major projects and there’s been almost $700 million of investment,” consultant Joe Tus told the commission, arguing the NCA could generate predictable, durable revenues that leverage private investment. Cole Hman, another presenter, said the model is established in Ohio: “This tool is prevalent. It is not experimental. It is being used in 55 other communities throughout the state of Ohio.”
Opponents and several public speakers criticized the use of emergency resolutions to begin the process, saying the city released limited cost and equity commitments and that neighborhoods should be consulted before charges or parcels are finalized. “Why is this an emergency?” asked public commenter Ebony Hastings, who pressed for clearer community benefit agreements and audits of prior small-dollar spending. Commissioners acknowledged those concerns; staff and outside counsel said the petition provides a preliminary financial plan required by Ohio Revised Code Chapter 349 and that parcel‑level consents and supplementary declarations must be recorded later before any charge takes effect.
Legal counsel from the city’s outside firm summarized permissible uses and precedents for NCA revenue, telling the commission the statute allows a broad set of public infrastructure, community‑facility, and debt‑service uses while prohibiting direct payments for private improvements. Staff emphasized the NCA is voluntary for property owners and that any corridor or parcel added later will require recorded consents, public notices and separate approvals.
The petition vote starts a formally noticed process: the commission adopted emergency resolutions finding the petition sufficient and authorizing the publication of public‑hearing notices. The record shows the administration plans to pursue initial pilots focused on downtown corridors (East Third, and commissioners asked to include West Third) and to return to the commission with parcel-specific terms and a timeline for community outreach.
Next steps include publicly noticed hearings (statutorily scheduled 30–45 days after petition filing), appointment of the NCA trustees as the petition and implementing documents are finalized, and parcel‑level supplemental declarations before any charge is imposed. Staff said dedicating revenue streams such as remote TIF to downtown investment would be a separate policy decision the commission could make during budgeting.
