By John Kiesewetter
The Cincinnati Enquirer

WEST CHESTER TWP. - Saying they didn't trust county commissioners, township trustees Monday adopted their own special taxing districts on 10 unbuilt subdivisions, pre-empting commissioners' plans to do the same thing.

"We have to take action today to protect our (Lakota) school district and our citizens," said trustee George Lang. "I feel our hands are being forced."

Trustees voted Monday afternoon after Butler County commissioners refused in the morning to rescind a May 6 resolution of their intent to create similar districts in West Chester in 14 days.

At a Friday meeting arranged by Lang, representatives from the county, West Chester and Liberty townships, and Lakota had pledged to work cooperatively on how to form the special taxing districts on new subdivisions, which would generate money for infrastructure improvements.

Part of the Friday agreement was for commissioners to withdraw the 14-day notice for creating a 10-year, 75 percent tax abatement on the unbuilt subdivisions. Then West Chester would withdraw its competing resolution from last week, Lang said.

Instead, commissioners Monday issued Lakota a new 45-day notice that they planned to enact a 30-year, 100 percent abatement - which would require approval by Lakota. They said they wanted to give Lakota another option.

"We were very hopeful that the county would back off," said Joan Powell, Lakota board president.

Lakota board members, at a special Saturday session, had voted their support for the township's 30-year deal - unless commissioners rescinded their vote.

Both the county and township have pledged to give Lakota full reimbursement of all property taxes it otherwise would have collected. The township agreed to pay Lakota $125 million over 30 years.

However, Commissioner Michael A. Fox, who first proposed the residential tax districts last month, said the county could give Lakota all $156 million from the new subdivisions through other means.

Lakota's lawyer, Mark Engel, said he has "serious questions whether they could legally do that."

Fox disagreed. "We have identified a way to give it all to them. If you can get more money, why take less?" Fox said.

Lakota school board members and trustees have expressed frustration over the lack of details from commissioners about their plans.

Powell also blamed the war over West Chester's future residential growth on the political fight between Fox and Trustee Catherine Stoker, who is running against Fox for commissioner in November.

"I feel like a jockey who has fallen off the horse and is being dragged along for the ride," Powell said. "We're thrust into the middle of a political chess game. There seems to be another agenda here."

New tax districts

For years, Ohio communities have used tax-increment financing to pay for improvements in an area using anticipated tax revenues - the tax increment - from commercial and industrial districts. The tax payments go into a special fund, not the general fund.

Counties, cities and townships now can create similar residential districts, called "residential incentive districts," with the property owners' permission. Homeowners' taxes in these new subdivisions wouldn't be affected.

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E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com