By Sam Wildow
TROY — The Troy City Council discussed its 2022 budget this week as it prepares for the new year and new projects, including the beginning of the two-year construction period for the city of Troy’s West Main Street Corridor Project.
The city received approximately $20.28 million in income tax revenue in 2021, and that revenue is expected to increase 13.7% over 2021. Director of Public Service and Safety Patrick Titterington said the city is also budgeting $1 million in potential tax returns for people who worked from home in 2021 and were not physically working at a business located in Troy.
For 2022, the city’s general fund has $14.9 million budgeted for capital expenses and $26.9 million budgeted for operating expenses.
For all of the city’s funds for 2022:
• The total beginning balance for all of the city’s funds for 2022 is $98,536,574;
• The total revenues, not including revenue transfers, for 2022 are estimated at $59,652,641;
• The total revenue transfers for 2022 are estimated at $34,890,562; and,
• The total expenses for 2022 are estimated at $74,618,178.
According to the city of Troy, the West Main Street Corridor Project includes a number of street, sidewalk, sewer, and traffic control improvements, including widening the street; replacing sidewalk and curbs as necessary; installing a tree/curb lawn; reconstructing a traffic signal; replacing waterlines, sanitary sewers, and storm sewers as necessary; and improving safety by upgrading traffic control devices and implementing access management techniques.
The necessity behind the project is that the corridor has been identified as a high priority location by the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC) and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) due to the number of crashes in the area.
Phase 1 of the corridor improvement project is set to begin in 2022 from Cherry Street to Ridge Avenue. Phase 2 will take place in 2023 from Ridge Avenue to the west of Dorset Road.
According to the city’s 2022 tax budget, the city currently has $5.7 million budgeted in its capital improvement fund for phase 1 of the West Main Street Corridor Project, as well as an additional $800,000 for the utility lines to be relocated underground on West Main Street. The city has $6 million budgeted for 2023 for phase 2 of the project. The city will receive funding from MVRPC and ODOT for approximately $3.398 million of the project.
The city is also planning increased investments in road repaving, Titterington said. The city has $1 million budgeted for road paving in 2022; $300,000 for the sidewalk program; and $205,000 for improvements to water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure at the Industrial Park.
Other future potential priorities in 2024 include $1 million budgeted for the downtown streetscape; $250,000 for dam-related construction and the recreation trail; and $275,000 for a traffic signal at State Route 718 and Washington Road.
Under the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) Fund, the city has budgeted a $600,000 grant for the South Stanfield Road Project for 2022. The city applied for this funding in September 2020. The project area is South Stanfield Road from Commerce Center Boulevard to Main Street. According to the Streets and Sidewalks Committee report in September 2020, the project will take approximately three years to complete. The pre-design estimate for phase 1 is $1,286,167. The project includes the reconstruction of 1,500 feet of roadway, including new curbs, sidewalk, and a new storm sewer.
The city is also preparing for a potential partnership with Miami County to extend water services to the village of Casstown. The city budgeted approximately $200,000 for design costs for a connection to Casstown.
The city is also planning an $11 million expansion of the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant for 2022. Titterington said the current facility is “at capacity” and the Ohio EPA will be adding new requirements, such as in regard to treating phosphorus, which the city will have to meet.
For the Troy Police Department, the city plans to move a support staff position from part-time to full-time. The city has also budgeted $150,000 for a cooling tower replacement for the department’s HVAC system for 2023; $143,000 for cruiser replacements in 2023 through 2026; $35,000 for cruiser laptops in 2023; $50,000 for a firing range building for 2023; and other equipment expenses.
With the Troy Fire Department, the city plans to replace Fire Station 1 in May and then sell the current station to a new restaurant through the city’s Community Improvement Corporation. The department has budgeted $200,000 for 2023 to purchase a new ambulance and $850,000 for 2024 to refurbish its Tower 1.
Also not included in the city’s five-year forecast is the construction of a potential parking garage for downtown Troy, which would cost $6-7 million. Titterington said the city is going to start analyzing the need for and possibility of constructing a parking garage downtown between 2024-2026. The city has approximately $100,000 budgeted in the Development Fund for 2024 for a parking garage analysis.
