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Dayton commission schedules public hearing on proposed New Community Authority amid mixed public comment
Summary
The City of Dayton set a public hearing for July 29 on a petition to establish a citywide New Community Authority (NCA). Residents and advocates voiced concerns about oversight, economic impact and transparency while proponents said the tool can fund streetscape and public‑space improvements.
The Dayton City Commission on July 8 set a public hearing for 6 p.m. on July 29 to consider a petition seeking to establish a citywide New Community Authority, a financing tool advocates say could fund streetscape, parking and hotel‑related improvements.
The hearing follows public comment that ranged from technical critique to cautionary skepticism. Alec Johnson, a resident of Linden Avenue, presented a preliminary "Matai Austerity Scoring Index" he developed and said the NCA scores 6.6 out of 10 on his austerity scale, which he described as "moderately austere" and urged commissioners to subject the proposal to careful public scrutiny. "Applied to the NCA, the preliminary overall Massey score is 6.6 out of 10," Johnson said, and invited commissioners to a fuller presentation on his analysis.
Mayor Turner Sloss and city staff described the petition as the first step in a multi‑stage process designed to be voluntary for property owners and initially targeted at a small pilot corridor tied to convention and hotel investments. The presiding official said the pilot would start with the Montgomery County Convention Facilities Authority project downtown, noting eligible investments could include streetscape, pedestrian infrastructure and public amenities. "This is a tool to help with financing so that we're able to complement to provide eligible investments such as streetscape enhancements, pedestrian infrastructure, public spaces," the presiding official said.
Opponents at the meeting warned that the NCA could concentrate resources downtown and reduce citywide flexibility. Resident Rodney Stark said he feared the measure would "section off" downtown resources and asked officials to "show your work" on projected returns. "We use government subsidies ... Where is our return on investment?" Stark asked.
City staff and the city manager's office responded that the emergency resolution was intended to start a public process and that the proposal includes a pilot and additional public input. The commission also confirmed the legal notice process and said the petition complies with Ohio Revised Code Section 349.03; the clerk read related resolutions determining petition sufficiency.
The commission called for more public information and scheduled the July 29 public hearing to allow additional stakeholder comment and technical review. The next procedural step is the public hearing and, depending on the hearing record, further legislative action.
A public record of the petition, supporting materials and notices will be made available as required by ordinance and state law.
