ECONOMIC CONDITION AND OUTLOOK

The year 1997 continued the trend of strong economic growth in Greene County. The fuel for this growth once again was the County’s well educated population. Potential employers are extremely attracted by a work force where one in seven people has attained a bachelor’s degree. The County’s strong work force is confirmed by a low unemployment rate of 3.5%, ranking Greene County the tenth lowest rate in the State. With several outstanding colleges and universities, including Wright State University, Cedarville College, Wilberforce University, Antioch College and Central State University, the prospect for the population of Greene County maintaining its high level of education appears to be bright.

It was also another strong year for construction within the County. Residential construction continued to be strong throughout the entire County. Residential developments within the County included Canterbury Trails and Hunter’s Ridge in Beavercreek, Sterling Green and Wright Cycle in Xenia, Candlelite Estates and Sentinel Ridge in Fairborn, and Deerfield Estates and River Ridge in Bellbrook. Commercial construction included additional development in the Fairfield Commons area of Beavercreek and the Wilmington Pike section of Sugarcreek Township. In Xenia, voters approved an initiative that will start the development of Progress Drive. Construction continued on Route 35 that will connect Greene County to I-71 in Fayette County, making Greene County more attractive as a site for possible distribution centers.

In the areas of leisure and recreation, Greene County continues to offer its citizens many options. Many local communities have festivals, such as the Potato Festival in Spring Valley, the Bean Festival in Jamestown, and Cedarfest in Cedarville. Tourist attractions included the U.S. Air Force Museum on Wright Patterson Air Force Base and the National Afro-American Museum in Wilberforce. Located just outside of Xenia, the outdoor drama "Blue Jacket" draws visitors from Western and Southern Ohio. Construction nears completion of the County’s system of bicycle paths. The Nutter Center at Wright State University offers events ranging from major concerts to sporting events such as the State High School Wrestling championships, NCAA Division I Basketball and Dayton Bombers hockey. The County has several outdoors attractions such as John Bryan State Park in Yellow Springs and the Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve in Clifton.

The outlook for 1998 in Greene County is positive. The low unemployment rate coupled with the well educated population will keep the labor market strong. Expanded retail construction will fuel growth in this sector. Residential construction will continue to be active. All of these factors indicate the local economy will remain strong in 1998 and beyond.

1997 Projects

AUDITOR: The past year was a year of many positive changes for the Auditor’s office. The biggest change was the acquisition of new software systems for the real estate section and the accounting department. The new systems will enable the office to provide enhanced service to the people of Greene County. The office also, during its day to day operations, handled literally thousands of personal property tax returns, mobile home tax returns, dog tag applications, estate tax returns, real estate transfers, homestead exemption applications, and current agricultural applications. The office also writes the County’s checks for both payroll and accounts payables, as well as encoding all monies paid into the County.

CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU (CVB): Many exciting programs and changes occurred at the CVB during 1997. The CVB was instrumental in getting many events and conventions to locate in Greene County. Some of these were the First Annual Air Force Marathon and the Gold Wing Road Riders Association annual meeting. The CVB also won an award for their 1995 annual report at the 1997 Midwest CVB Conference in Cleveland. The CVB completed a video that will be used as a marketing tool to attract more events to Greene County.

DATA PROCESSING: Upgrades to the many computer systems throughout the County were managed by this department during 1997, including the installation of fiber optic cables in the courthouse and many new software systems in departments ranging from the Family and Children First Council and the Recorder’s Office to the Auditor’s office and the Building Regulations department.

ENGINEER: It was another busy year for the employees of the County Engineer. Over 100 miles of the County’s roads were paved, repaired or chipped-sealed. Several new roads were constructed including the access road to the new juvenile detention center and major improvements to Trebein, Byron, McBee and Hyde Roads. The Engineer’s office was also responsible for the oversight of hundreds of bridges and culverts throughout Greene County. The office also is responsible for traffic control, including traffic lights, signs and the lining of roads, and mowing and weed control for all County roads.

FAMILY & CHILDREN FIRST COUNCIL (FCFC): Many programs were successfully launched by the FCFC during 1997. These programs ranged from youth diversion and teen pregnancy programs to the "Family Focus" program for troubled students in Greene County schools.

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS): Thanks to the efforts of the personnel in this department, under the direct supervision of the County Auditor, Greene County now has its own web site. By going to www.co.greene.ohio.us, information ranging from dog tag registration to real estate information can be obtained over the Internet at any time of the day

RECORDS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT: After settling into a new office and work area, a major highlight for this office during 1997 was the participation in the Society of Ohio Archivists annual Archives Week. In conjunction with this event, an open house was held with the theme "Celebrating Local Government in Ohio". Another high point for 1997 was the initiation of the returning to the County of many original Greene County records from the Ohio Historical Society’s regional repository at Wright State University.

Future Projects

AUDITOR: The coming year will see an important change to the Auditor’s office. The renovations of the second floor of the County Administration Building, located at 69 Greene St., are expected to be completed in May. The expanded work areas will allow the Auditor’s office to more efficiently and effectively serve the taxpayers of Greene County. New developments in 1998 will include expanding the public access system and the availability of property record card information on personal computers in the tax map area.

CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU: By far, the most important future project of the CVB is the Spring of 1998 ground breaking of its new office space in Beavercreek. The new office will more than double current office space, enabling the staff of the CVB to better serve the citizens and businesses of Greene County.