BY STEVE KEMME
The Cincinnati Enquirer
UNION TOWNSHIP -- For generations, Hamilton and Middletown were the twin towers of political power in Butler County.
Those seeking county public offices focused their campaigns almost entirely on the county's two largest cities.
"When I ran for office in the early '70s, I always concentrated on Hamilton and Middletown and, to a lesser extent, Fairfield," said Butler County Prosecutor John Holcomb.
That strategy worked for Mr. Holcomb and other county officeholders until a growing giant in the southeastern part of the county began commanding attention -- Union Township, also known as West Chester.
In the past 20 years, with its abundance of undeveloped land, its proximity to Hamilton County and its easy access to Interstate 75, the township has blossomed into a major political force in Butler County and the entire Tristate.
So dramatic has its growth been and so valuable is its undeveloped land near I-75 that some are calling it Butler County's "Gold Coast." Its population, estimated at more than 47,000 by the Ohio Data Users Center, has more than doubled since 1980. Among Butler County communities, Union Township trails only Hamilton, which has 62,000 residents, and Middletown, 54,000.
All that growth -- in size and prominence -- has spurred talk by some to once again consider incorporation, thus officially creating the city of West Chester.
It also has drawn the envy of regional leaders, including Cincinnati Mayor Roxanne Qualls.
In her State of the City address in January, she said Cincinnati could be "the West Chester of the Year 2030" if it attracts aging Baby Boomers who begin yearning for the simplicity and convenience of city life.
"West Chester is illustrative of what can happen if you understand the market and demographic forces and take advantage of them," Ms. Qualls said in a recent interview.
That savvy approach to development and its geographical location has toppled the Hamilton-Middletown axis of power, experts say. Replacing it is the Hamilton-Middletown-Union Township triangle of power.
"The population growth in that area has changed the dynamics of the county," said Philip Russo Jr., director of Miami University's Center for Public Management and Regional Affairs. "Countywide officials have to give much more attention to that part of the county."
More politicians are paying attention to West Chester not only because of its size, but because Union Township voters have flexed their political muscles at the ballot box.
In the November 1996 general election, more people voted in Union Township than in Hamilton or Middletown. Union Township residents cast 22,190 votes; Hamilton residents, 21,267; and Middletown residents, 17,196.
More than 71 percent of Union Township registered voters cast ballots compared with Middletown's 65 percent and Hamilton's 64 percent.
"We're a community that votes," Union Township Trustee Catherine Stoker said. ". . . They're satisfied with their lives, and they vote to maintain the status quo."
Many who have moved into Union Township in the past 20 years earn good incomes, own upper-scale homes and have college degrees. The 1990 Census showed the township's median household income was $58,101 -- $20,000 higher than the Butler County median income. The median house value in Union Township was $118,200, $45,000 more than the county's median house value.
That also bests Cincinnati's median household income of $21,006 and its median house value of $61,700.
"A lot of the people who can afford those homes work in Hamilton County," said Joe Schwartz, a Fairfield builder whose J II Homes has been constructing houses in Butler County for 37 years.
"They need to live in proximity to where they work," he said. "For access to the highway system, Union Township is the place to be."
Almost 37 percent of Union Townships residents had at least a bachelor's degree, compared with 18.7 percent in the county. "People who go to college tend to vote more," said Union Township Administrator David Gully. "It's part of the culture."
Township residents also support their schools. Since 1988, the Lakota School District has placed 11 money issues on the ballot. Seven passed the first time on the ballot and the other four passed the second.
Surging political clout
Union Township is heavily Republican in a county controlled largely by the GOP. In the township, registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats, 9 to 2.
Besides using their votes, Union Township residents don't shy away from contributing to campaigns.
"Those people in Union Township have money to spend, and they spend it on Republicans," said Mr. Holcomb, Butler's only Democratic county officeholder.
There are plenty of influential Union Township residents, including these former township trustees:
- U.S. Rep. John Boehner, the fourth-ranking Republican in the House.
- Ohio Rep. Gary Cates, R-58th District.
- Judge Stephen Powell of the 12th District Court of Appeals who is running for a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court.
- Butler County Auditor Kay Rogers, the first Union Township resident elected to a countywide office.
- Carlos Todd, chairman of the Butler County Republican Party.
In the Butler Democratic Party, Union Township residents fill three high-ranking positions: the executive committee's secretary and treasurer and the campaign strategy committee's chairman. "Democratic candidates and party leaders definitely recognize the growing political clout of Union Township," said Don Daiker, party chairman.
Ms. Stoker's successful re-election to her Union Township trustee seat was the party's top priority in last year's general election, he said.
Easing traffic woes
In the past three years, the Butler County engineer's office has channelled more than $30 million to road projects in Union Township. County Engineer Dean Foster acknowledged Union's political clout but said concern for safety has dictated what his office spends in the township.
With available land in Union Township shrinking, residential development is speeding up in Liberty Township, north of Union. Fairfield Township also is a hot spot. But commercial development in the West Chester area has continued a torrid rate.
The value of commercial and industrial real property in the township is six times higher than it was 19 years ago. It jumped from $43 million in 1979 to $256 million last year.
Recent and future major road projects are expected to help spur more than $500 million in retail and commercial construction in West Chester.
The Union Centre Boulevard interchange, a $24 million project that opened to traffic in March, promises to yield abundant riches. The township's third interchange on I-75, it has freed 2,000 acres for development.
The interchange already has induced Procter & Gamble Co. to start construction nearby on a technical center for 85 employees, and Totes-Isotoner Corp. and Beiersdorf Inc. to plan to build multimillion-dollar facilities in that area.
Attracting more high-ranking company executives to Union Township will increase Union's power in the region, Mr. Gully said. "You have people of influence with money and status coming into our community to work and live," he said. "But we're not just trying to build influence. We're trying to add quality and value to our community."
Building an image
Besides luring millions in investment, the interchange could give the township a sense of identity.
Planners want the area around the interchange to become the township's business and social center, with gardens, tree-lined streets, shops, restaurants and a recreation center as well as space for large business developments and townhouses, condos and apartment buildings.
That ties in with an effort to change Union Township's name to the more distinctive West Chester and to convert it into a city. "I think Union Township is a model for communities in the 21st century," Mr. Boehner said.
"We're meeting our challenges head-on while relying on big government as little as possible. We're successful because we've given local people the freedom to do what government often can't do."
Over time, population and political power often moves from older communities to newer ones, like Union Township. In 30 or 40 years, another upstart community could siphon off some of Union Township's residents, businesses and influence, Mr. Todd said.
"In the future, demographics could shift again and political power could move in a different direction in Butler County," he said. "But I'm sure Union Township will be strong for the next 50 years. It will continue to be a predominant force in the county."
