a mechanism for communities to take a targeted geographical area and make investments,”Westendorf explains. NCAs levy voluntary property tax charges of five to 10 mills per parcel, with revenues funding infrastructure and services. “We wrote ours, and I think we’re the only one in Ohio to do this. We wrote the entire jurisdictional boundary of the city of Franklin into the NCA.” This approach means every new development contributes to Franklin’s transformation. The timing coincides with significant residential expansion. Shaker Meadows adds 119 single-family homes to HOUSING GROWTH AND THE NEW COMMUNITY AUTHORITY Ohio communities face a delicate balance: attracting development while funding the infrastructure to support it. Franklin approaches this challenge through an innovative use of the New Community Authority (NCA), a financing tool that most Ohio municipalities haven’t discovered. While NCAs traditionally transform farmland into subdivisions, Franklin reimagined the concept for comprehensive city development. “The New Community Authority in Ohio is basically 7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07 FRANKLIN, OH
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