ECONOMIC CONDITION AND OUTLOOK

The year 1998 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 Professional 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.

AUDITOR: During the past year, the Auditor’s office completed several large projects that began in 1997. The major remodeling and reorganization of the physical layout of the office provides more efficient services to the public and enhances the day to day operational procedures of the office. The platform for the Local Area Network (LAN) of the Auditor’s office was changed from Novell to Windows NT. Greene County’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS): was installed on Public Inquiry Workstations in the main office. Public training sessions were provided to educate potential users on the features of the GIS software. An agreement was reached with the Greene County Public Library to co-host a server to provide Internet access to the County’s GIS information. Software redesign was completed for the Vendor’s License, Estate Tax, Cigarette Tax, Manufactured Home, and Notes & Bonds systems. Equipment containing embedded computer chips was tested for Y2K compliance. Additionally, a Request for Proposal (RFP) was developed and advertised to implement a touch tone or voice recognition Real Estate inquiry system. This system is expected to be operational by mid 1999.

DATA PROCESSING: The major initiative in 1998 for the Data Processing Department was Y2K compliance of all software and hardware managed by the department. Many thousands of lines of code were reviewed, modifications made, and module testing was completed. Individual workstations were tested for hardware Y2K compliance. Many hours of Y2K research were done on software packages used by various offices within the County. The Director serves on the Y2K Committee for the County. Local Area Networks (LAN’s) were designed and installed in Adult Probation, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Domestic Relations Court, Auditor’s Office, Treasurer’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, and the Clerk of Court’s Office. A management system for tracking workstations and LAN’s was developed by the department.

ENGINEER: Several Reconstruction and new Construction projects were completed by the County Engineer’s office. These include the Wilberforce-Clifton Road slope erosion project where the pavement was widened and vertical and horizontal curves were smoothed out. Little Sugarcreek Road was improved by widening the pavement and replacing the bridge. The second phase of the Shawnee Hills Storm Drainage in New Jasper Township was completed; providing storm drainage relief to the Blackfoot Trail area, North Lake Shore area, and the Cheyenne Trail areas. Over 106 miles of the County’s roads were paved, repaired or chipped-sealed. There were numerous bridge construction projects as well as right-of-way acquisitions for the various road and bridge projects. The office also is responsible for traffic control, including traffic lights, signs and the lining of roads, and mowing and weed control for about 330 miles of County roads.

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.