LIBERTY TWP. — Trustees here like Butler County Commissioner Mike Fox's suggestion that they explore a joint earnings tax district with Mason to pay for road improvements that will be needed if a proposed Interstate 75 interchange is built.

“It's a worthy idea that's worth examining,” Trustees President David Kern told Mr. Fox, who addressed the township at Monday's meeting.

“I think it's an excellent idea providing Mason will go along with it,” Trustee Bob Shelley added.

But their counterparts in West Chester aren't as enthusiastic — and question why Liberty Township developers and property owners can't help foot the bill for infrastructure, as Union Centre Boulevard investors did in the late 1990s.

“Where is it written that only in West Chester the residential community has to pay for all its development while neighboring communities like Liberty Township gets theirs for free?” Trustee Catherine Stoker said. “Why now that Liberty wants its interchange, millions in revenue from West Chester property should be used to pay for it? It's time for Liberty Township to stand up and take care of its own community.”

Mr. Fox wants Butler to help form joint economic development districts (JEDDs) between Mason and Liberty Township and Mason and West Chester Township.

Under the JEDD agreements, earnings taxes from commercial developments and businesses in a geographic area would be set aside for road improvements and other infrastructure work. The agreement must involve a municipality and a township.

The proposed interchange at the Michael A. Fox Highway (Ohio 129) and an extended Cox Road is being held up by a state study of the I-75 corridor. State officials said they would not approve this interchange until they see whether it would create more traffic for I-75.

Tax-increment financing would pay for the completion of the interchange. Under that method, a township or city directs all property taxes into a fund used to retire debt for new roads, water or sewer lines.

But Mr. Fox says there won't be enough money in the tax-increment financing fund to upgrade secondary roads such as Tylersville to handle increased traffic expected with the new interchange.

Warren County Commission Larry Crisenbery has said he opposes the interchange because he fears it will flood cars onto already congested Mason roads such as Butler-Warren and Tylersville.

But entering into a JEDD with Mason could help alleviate that opposition, Mr. Fox told Liberty trustees Monday.

Mason Mayor John McCurley said Tuesday he agrees with Mr. Crisenbery. Mason is opposed to the interchange and to generating any additional traffic on Tylersville Road. It is one of the most congested roads in the Tristate and is Warren County's main east-west artery to I-75.

But he said if an arrangement could be worked out to generate money for road improvements so the arteries could better handle vehicles, he might reconsider.

“We would be in favor of discussing the JEDD if there is economic development in that area and we were able to share that revenue and use the revenue to improve traffic conditions in the area,” Mr. McCurley said. “There are conditions that would make it acceptable or unacceptable to the city of Mason.”

Mr. McCurley also said Mason is interested in talking to West Chester. He pointed out that Mason has been careful to hold back commercial development on Tylersville Road to curtail congestion.

“We have some serious problems with traffic in that area that not only affect people in West Chester and Butler County but also people in Mason and Warren County,” he said. “There is a blatant difference between the development on Butler County side of Tylersville and Warren County, the Mason side. You can see the difference when you get into Mason and that's been intentional.”

West Chester leaders previously have avoided JEDDs.

E-mail jedwards@enquirer.com.

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