XENIA — Greene County officials recently celebrated a successful 2022 and looked ahead to the rest of 2023 during the county’s annual report to the community.
Sponsored by the community improvement corporation and commissioners along with myriad input from the department of development, the report spread good vibes throughout the Emerge Recovery & Trade Initiative, which served as host for the first time.
New construction was down a tick in 2022, which was the only moderately bad news Development Director Eric Henry shared with those in attendance. Residential valuations from 2021 to 2022 were down from $375,897 to $337,628 and commercial valuations from 2021 to 2022 were down from $205,838 to $145,628, likely due to increased materials costs and delays in the supply chain.
But according to Henry, these national trends “haven’t impacted our revenue stream here in Greene County.”
Tourism, retail, and property values are all up from last year, Henry said.
Hotel tax revenue went from $1,121,102 to $1,345,861, county sales tax revenue rose from $34,092,272 to $35,506,266, and real property taxes increased from $40,120,763 to $41,664,184.
The number of people in the workforce also increased from 2021 to 2022. The unemployment rate in the county went from 4.2 percent to 3.1 percent and was lower than the Ohio numbers of 4.5 percent and 3.6 percent in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
“Unemployment continues to trend downward, showing that if you want a job in Greene County, you have plenty to choose from,” Henry said.
Last year was also a good year to be in business, according to the department of development.
— In the City of Beavercreek, Resonant Sciences increased its staff from 82 to 133 full-time employees .
— QQE in Beavercreek Township opened its new headquarters and manufacturing facility, employing 114 people and attracting state-wide media coverage, including a visit from both the governor and lieutenant governor.
— In Fairborn, Sentinel Occupational Safety, a spin-off of Aptima Inc., successfully fund-raised millions of dollars to further the development of lifesaving health monitoring equipment.
— Devil Wind Brewery in Xenia expanded its operations, and Jasper Hills Golf Club had its grand opening. Both businesses are thriving and have quickly become keystones of their communities, Henry said.
— Finally, in their first events since the pandemic, last year saw the return of the Yellow Springs Street Fair and the annual Hamvention event in Xenia Township. Combined, these two events saw approximately 53,000 visitors to Greene County, bringing in tens of millions of dollars in revenue.
The county also made sure COVID recovery continued.
Commissioners allocated $33 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, including $9.6 million to the broadband project with Altafiber, $1 million in non-profit grants, and a plethora of distributions for community projects and internal infrastructure projects.
“The commissioner’s overriding intent behind the usage of these funds was to ensure that every Greene County resident received some measurable benefit from this money,” Henry said. “In other words, a strong ROI (return on investment).”
Looking ahead, the county has goals and plans for 2023.
— Implement Greene County “Shop Local” marketing and investment campaign to highlight and promote local retail business establishments.
— Partner with Greene County Regional Planning and the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission to create 2040 Perspectives Plan and Regional Resiliency (Disaster Response) Plan.
— Facilitate “One-Stop-Shop” permitting process overhaul across all Greene County permitting agencies.
— Leverage local partnerships to enhance development of Greene Regional Business Park.
— Coordinate with local governments, educational institutions, and businesses to strengthen workforce development programs.
“So, as you can see, we have many things to be proud of and look forward to in our department and Greene County as whole,” Henry said.
