REMINDER

FRIDAY: Counties with remaining brownfield remediation set-aside funds have until June 5 to submit applications

After the awarding of brownfield grants last week, there are 46 counties that have set-aside funds remaining. New applications must be submitted to access these funds by THIS FRIDAY, June 5. Applications that were previously submitted are not carried over for new consideration.

If set-aside funds are not used, remaining funds will be rolled into the general grant availability in SFY 2027 (beginning July 1, 2026), where individual counties will not receive any dedicated funding. Accessing your set-aside funding by submitting applications by June 5 is the only way to guarantee these economic development funds flow to your county.

The amount of set-aside funding remaining for the 46 counties is available on the program's webpage.

Counties are highly encouraged to review the list and, if your county is on it, to submit an application by June 5.

Former Van Wert County Commissioner passes away

On May 22, Clair Dudgeon, a Van Wert County Commissioner from 2001 to 2012, passed away at the age of 88.

In addition to serving as a commissioner, Clair held many other public service roles. These include service on the State Board of Education, the Van Wert County Board of Education, the Van Wert County Fair Board, and the Van Wert Foundation.

Clair was the patriarch of a large family. He had 19 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

You can read his full obituary here.

Spring edition of County Leader available!

On Friday, CCAO published the Spring 2026 edition of our quarterly magazine, County Leader!

This quarter's issue includes articles about data centers, childcare's impact on economic development, and a feature on Lucas County's site development program.

Deadline approaching for TY 2026 authorization of piggyback property relief measures

The deadline for counties to authorize the permissive local ("piggyback") homestead exemption and/or owner occupancy credit is approaching in five weeks. For the relief measure to be effective for the current tax year (taxes payable in 2027), boards of county commissioners must adopt a resolution by June 30. Resolutions adopted after June 30 will be effective for the next tax year (taxes payable in 2028).

As a reminder, the two piggyback options are:

Local Homestead Exemption - Applied concurrently with the statewide homestead exemption. All homestead exemption recipients in the county would receive a second exemption in the same amount as the standard homestead exemption. No additional application would be needed for recipients.
Local Owner Occupancy Credit - Applied concurrently with the statewide credit. The amount of the credit is set by the authorizing resolution, up to 2.5%. The credit is applied to the same qualifying levies that the statewide credit applies to (those approved before November 2013.

All taxing entities in the county are affected by the piggyback options, not just county levies. Additionally, property tax revenue foregone due to the piggyback options is not reimbursed by state, nor is there a mechanism for the county to hold other entities harmless.

More information about the piggyback options can be found in County Advisory Bulletin 2025-10 Property Tax Relief Options.

The third relief mechanism, rolling back or suspending inside millage, is more limited to just the county share and can be authorized at any point in the tax year. The Advisory Bulletin above discusses this option as well.

OCERP Retirement Plan Advisors holding Financial Wellness Webinars!

In the last week of June, Ohio County Employees Retirement Plan (OCERP) Retirement Plan Advisors will be hosting webinars on financial wellness. The webinars will have the following focuses:

June: Myths about Retirement Plans
- This webinar identifies myths regarding account security, accessing your money, contributions, investing and more.

Registration is required, but is free. Please select the registration link in the table below based on which OCERP region your work location is located within. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email that includes the meeting access information.

June Webinar: Myths about Retirement Plans

Northwest Region (Red) - June 24, 2:00 p.m.

Central Region (Green) - June 24, 2:00 p.m.

Southwest Region (Purple) - June 24, 2:00 p.m.

Northeast Region (Blue) - June 24, 2:00 p.m.

Pinnacle Partner

State & Federal

Governor suspends data center tax exemptions amid joint committee, revised foregone revenue estimates

On Wednesday, Governor Mike DeWine directed the chair of the Ohio Tax Credit Authority (Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik) to pause consideration of new data center sales tax exemption requests. The pause is to allow the Joint Committee on Data Centers to complete its work, but also comes on the heels of the Department of Taxation revising its estimate of foregone revenue die to the exemption.

According to information obtained from the Department of Taxation by SignalOhio, the data center sales tax exemption cost the state more than $2.1 billion in lost revenue during the SFY 2024-2025 biennium. This is a significant underestimate from the $266.2 million estimated by the most recent Tax Expenditure Report.

The Legislative Service Commission typically estimates the county effect of sales tax exemptions at 25% of the state effect. That would produce an estimated $525 million in lost county revenue during the biennium.

The most recent Tax Expenditure Report estimated a state effect of $289.8 million in lost revenue due to the exemption over the current biennium, although the true cost is anticipated to be considerably higher considering the recent revision.

Meanwhile, the General Assembly’s recently-created Joint Committee on Data Centers held its first hearing this week. During the meeting, it adopted a mission statement and heard invited testimony from certain stakeholders.

The mission statement establishes the committee’s purpose as ensuring that Ohioans have accurate, relevant, and useable information concerning the various impacts of data center development. Specifically, this information will focus on the following:

Determining data energy cost and availability impacts on other Ohio ratepayers;
Identifying state and local community economics of data center development;
Determining the environmental impact of data center development;
Identifying public safety and national security considerations; and
Increasing public awareness and sector knowledge.

CCAO anticipates a hearing specific for local governments the week of June 8.

Projects supporting 246 homes receive Welcome Home Ohio funds

Last week, Governor DeWine announced awards under the fifth round of the Welcome Home Ohio program.

The program provides grants to assist land banks, land reutilization corporations, local governments, and qualified nonprofit developers to purchase residential properties at foreclosure sales and to rehabilitate or construct homes.

The grants awarded last week totaled $26.9 million and will fund 256 homes across 57 counties.

A full list of the projects that received grants under this cycle is available here.

All told, the Welcome Home Ohio program has awarded $86 million to support 727 homes across the state.

Welcome Home Round 5

Education & Grants

CCAO, partners to host webinar on economic development information confidentiality on June 9

Did you know that information about your community's economic development projects is now confidential under Ohio law, and that discussing it publicly could expose you to criminal liability?

CCAO, in partnership with the Ohio Economic Development Association, Bricker Graydon, and the Ohio Municipal League, is hosting a webinar that will cover what the law requires, where the practical pitfalls lie, and what protective steps your jurisdiction should take now.

These proactive steps include contractual disclaimers, indemnification language, internal handling protocols, and how to balance confidentiality with your duty to operate transparently.

Join us for an important webinar on Ohio's new incentive confidentiality provisions on June 9 at 10:30 a.m. for a webinar on Ohio's new incentive confidentiality provisions. The webinar is provided at no cost for CCAO members.

Effective March 20, 2026, R.C. 9.66(D) (House Bill 184) changes how every county, municipality, township, port authority, and tax incentive review council handles project information.

It reclassifies a broad range of records (including applications, financial data, company identities, draft agreements, project maps, CRA compliance data, draft TIF instruments, and CDBG subrecipient reports) as confidential and turns routine activities like briefing residents, media, or council into potential first-degree misdemeanor exposure.

Hands-on cyber training exercise by Ohio Cyber Reserve offered to CCAO members

The Adjutant General, Matthew Woodruff, has invited CCAO members to the Distinguished Visitor Day for Ohio Cyber Guardian 2026 on Monday, July 13 at 10am. The event will showcase both the Ohio Cyber Reserve and the Ohio Cyber Range Institute as they conduct a full-scale cyber training exercise at the University of Cincinnati Digital Futures Building.

The Ohio Cyber Reserve is a volunteer force under the command of the Adjutant General. OhCR teams of trained civilians are available to assist eligible municipalities with cybersecurity vulnerabilities and provide recommendations to reduce cyber threats. OhCR volunteers also provide workforce development to train the cyber talent of the future and assist STEM teachers by providing mentors and educates cybersecurity personnel across Ohio’s municipalities. When called, OhCR provides validates teams of incident response professionals to help municipalities identify, protect, detect, and respond to cybersecurity incidents.

Your participation will provide valuable insight into the evolving landscape of cyber defense and the collaboration between state agencies, private sector partners, and national defense organizations to safeguard our digital infrastructure.

When: July 13, 10am – 12pm (Registration and refreshments start at 9:30am)

Where: 3080 Exploration Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45206

To RSVP for the event, please utilize the link below.

Ohio Cyber Guardian 2026 – Fill out form

State funding opportunities

The table below contains current state grant or loan programs. A more comprehensive list can be found on the Ohio Grants Partnership webpage.

Grant Program	Brief Summary	Eligibility Criteria	Amount Available	Application Due Date
Brownfield Remediation Program	To assist communities in the remediation of hazardous substances or petroleum at an industrial, commercial, institutional property, or other brownfield site.	Counties with remaining funds (map)	Dependent on amount of remaining funds	June 5, 2026
Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Grant Program	To facility the development and implementation of substance abuse treatment programs within detention facilities where inmates are incarcerated for a period of time sufficient for such treatment.	Local governments	Unspecified, but projects require at least a 25% match	June 9, 2026
Project Safe Neighborhoods	To create and foster safer neighborhoods through a sustained reduction in violent crime, including, but not limited to, addressing criminal gangs and the felonious possession and use of firearms.	Local governments in the jurisdiction of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio	Unspecified, no match required	June 9, 2026
Ohio Sexual Assault Investigations Grant Program	To reimburse for the cost of testing sexual assault kits, including capacity building for agencies that complete sexual assault investigations	Law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and crime labs	Unspecified, funding model is reimbursement	June 10, 2026
Extradition Reimbursement Program	To reimburse LEAs for the cost of in-state and out-of-state extraditions.	Law enforcement agencies and prosecutor's offices	Unspecified total, no maximum per request; No match	June 10, 2026
Transition from Coal Workforce Development Grants	To support innovative, community-led workforce development projects that draw on proven strategies to prepare workers in coal communities for high-quality jobs in growing economic sectors.	Local governments	Unspecified total, typical grants between $50,000 and $300,000	June 12, 2026
Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council Grant Programs	A grouping of 16 individual programs intended to increase the quality of life of Ohioans with developmental disabilities.	Broad availability, but entities serving individuals with developmental disabilities are best suited	Varies by program, but all require a match of at least 33%	July 10, 2026
Shine a Light on Dumpers Program	To assist local governments in cleaning existing solid-waste dump sites and to take preventative action to deter future dumping.	Counties and other local governments	Max awards: $100,000 (clean-up projects); $20,000 (deterrence projects)	July 31, 2026

Federal funding opportunities

The table below contains a sampling of current federal grant or loan programs. A full list can be found on Grants.gov.

Grant Program	Brief Summary	Eligibility Criteria	Amount Available	Application Due Date
De-escalation and Crisis Response Training Program	To support the development, implementation, and/or expansion of de-escalation and crisis response training programs that improve law enforcement responses to and outcomes for individuals in crisis who have behavioral health conditions or physical or intellectual disabilities.	General Availability	Maximum award: $700,000 No match required	June 6, 2026
Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program	To assist in the assessment and management of landslide risks through hazard mapping, public education, and community preparedness.	General Availability	Maximum award: $250,000 No match required	June 10, 2026
Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program	To improve railroad safety, efficiency, and reliability, to mitigate congest at both intercity passenger rail and freight rail choke points, and to enhance multi-modal connections.	General Availability	Total available: $2 billion Local match of at least 20% (limited exceptions apply)	June 22, 2026
Defense Community Infrastructure Program	To address deficiencies in community infrastructure supportive of a military installation.	Counties in proximity to a military installation	Maximum award: $20 million Local match of at least 30% (limited exceptions apply)	June 25, 2026
Community Connect Grant Program	To provide financial assistance to provide service at or above the broadband grant speed to all premises in rural, economically- challenged communities where broadband service does not exist.	General availability, but project area must be a rural area without broadband service.	$17 million available. Local match of at least 15%	June 29, 2026
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative – Joint Venture Habitat Restoration and Protection	To assist in the protection, restoration, or enhancement of migratory bird habitats within the Great Lakes coastal zone. Particular focus on projects that address declining habitat types.	General availability among entities along the Great Lakes, with favor for projects within 15 miles of the coastline	$800,000 available Local match of at least 25%	July 6, 2026
Title X Family Planning Services Grants	To promote the general family planning programs and goals under Title X of the Public Health Service Act.	General Availability	Maximum award: $22 million Local match of between 1% and 10%	January 9, 2027

County News

Northwest District

New mental health board director named
The Courier, May 26, 2026
Zach Thomas, of Findlay, has been named the new executive director of the Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS).

Thomas, 49, has been the ADAMHS wellness and education director since 2012 and has nearly 25 years of experience in behavioral health systems administration, coalition development, collective impact and public education.

The previous executive director, Precia Stuby, retired in March after 29 years in the role. Thomas’ appointment follows an exhaustive candidate search. A search committee was chaired by board member and retired judge Joe Niemeyer and assisted by the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities.

Jennifer Swartzlander, ADAMHS’ deputy director, has served as interim director since Stuby’s retirement. The board approved Thomas at its May meeting on Tuesday. He will officially take the executive director post on June 1. A new wellness director will be hired later this year.

Thomas is only the third director to serve in such a capacity in Hancock County in 58 years. Phyllis Putnam was the county’s first mental health director from 1968 to 1997. Stuby was the director from 1997 to 2026.

Thomas, a 1999 Bowling Green State University graduate and music education major, said he is honored to be named the ADAMHS executive director.

“Being entrusted to lead our community behavioral health system is an extraordinary honor,” he said. “Hancock County has built one of the most progressive and responsive systems of care in the nation and stewarding that legacy is a privilege.”

Board chair Dr. Jim Darrach said Thomas brings a substantial work history in addiction and mental health recovery in Hancock County, noting the new director was instrumental in constructing the current evidence-based ROSC (Recovery Oriented System of Care).

Northeast District

Commissioners seek to find solutions to animal needs
Star Beacon, May 24, 2026
The Ashtabula County Board of Commissioners is working together and with others to solve the ongoing challenge of caring for animals left to their own devices.

The measures include working to eventually put an animal care facility, with an education component, at A-Tech, creating a new non-profit to assist in animal-related challenges, and working with a variety of other groups in the county, and outside the county.

“We are in the process of starting a non-profit,” Commissioner Kathryn Whittington said.

The paperwork to start Ashtabula County Humane Alliance for Animals Inc. was recently completed by an outside attorney, and was being filed with the Ohio Secretary of State. The next stage, filing with the Internal Revenue Service is about to begin, she said.

Commissioner Casey Kozlowski said many counties are facing an increase in animals to care for and limited resources to do so. He said Ashtabula County has never had its own shelter and has worked with existing agencies.

Kozlowski said cooperation will need to continue to be at the forefront of any long-term solutions to the problem.

In 2025, the county signed an agreement to work with Geauga County to care for dogs, but Geauga County now has a surplus of animals.

Whittington said the county is grateful to Nancy Frazier and the Ashtabula County Humane Society for the group’s assistance. She said the group helped get a dog warden approved.

The commissioners are seeking to replace a dog warden, and hope to interview for the position soon.

Commissioner J.P. Ducro said he and County Administrator Janet Discher have renewed talks with the Animal Protective League for possible collaboration.

Central District

Knox County Transit facing imminent cuts due to funding shortfall
Knox Pages, May 22, 2026
Knox County Transit had a near-record month despite significantly reduced staffing, but a shortfall in contract revenue is forcing the agency toward cutting Saturday service.

Transit Director Bethany Celmar told county commissioners Thursday the agency completed 7,158 trips in April, despite being down five drivers.

“That is huge for the staffing level that we’re seeing. We’re almost to what our early 2025 numbers would have been with three to four extra full-time people,” she said.

“So we’re getting more efficient, and we are squeezing those trips in.”

However, the agency has lost approximately $130,000 in contract revenue through discontinued programs. Celmar spent April talking with stakeholders, trying to recruit sponsorship for a local match.

Except for Goodwill, which contributed $1,000, no one else has stepped forward, she said.

A $200,000 local match would bring Celmar’s budget to $2.2 million, which is where the federal government has capped it.

KCT has around 30 contracts with day care centers, the Veterans Services office, nursing homes, and municipal court, among others. However, they use KCT occasionally, and most contracts generate less than $1,000 annually.

Celmar did get a $20,000 grant to continue the Night Bus service.

She must make a decision by June 1 if the transit agency is cutting service. Cuts would take effect July 1.

“I have to give 30 days public notice, and we’ll have to have a meeting. But right now it looks like Saturdays are probably going to go away as far as on demand,” she told the commissioners.

Southwest District

Fayette Co. Commissioners review downtown pavilion proposal
Record Herald, May 28, 2026
The Fayette County Commissioners met Tuesday to review a proposal for a multiuse downtown pavilion project.

Committee members Jim Hobbs and Fayette County Farmers Market Manager David Persinger outlined the vision for a community building to house the farmers market, alongside a separate amphitheater for entertainment and local events. The committee is collaborating with McCarty Associates on construction plans.

The proposed pavilion would be located at 238 S. Main St., a property owned by Calmar Spraying Systems and currently leased by Silgan Dispensing. Silgan manufactures and supplies dispensing systems, pump sprayers, and metal and plastic food containers.

If the proposal moves forward, Silgan will relocate to the former Chappell Door building at 1730 Washington Ave. Beginning Oct. 1, 2026, the company would occupy 40,000 square feet of the property. Documents show the property owner, 1730 Washington Avenue LLC, has offered a $45,000 allowance to assist Silgan with moving expenses.

Hobbs reported that the project requires purchasing the Calmar property and demolishing the existing building to clear space for new construction. The estimated cost for the new pavilion is between $700,000 and $900,000. While no official funding source has been announced, the committee plans to seek public and corporate donations throughout Fayette County.

The proposed structure would provide permanent covered space for the outdoor farmers market, featuring utility hookups for food trucks, public restrooms, a stage, a large parking lot, and the adjacent amphitheater.

Persinger noted that the farmers market has outgrown its current setup, with annual sales growing from $48,000 in 2010 to $179,000 in 2025. The new space would accommodate a growing list of interested vendors.

Hobbs requested that the commissioners and city officials cover half of the $569,000 property acquisition cost, noting the project benefits both the city and county. The commissioners took no immediate action on the request.

Southeast District

Washington County Commissioners to testify in Columbus for Data Center Study Commission
News and Sentinel, May 30, 2026
Washington County Commissioner Charlie Schilling said the commissioners were invited to Columbus to testify to the 136th General Assembly about the impacts of data centers.

The Ohio General Assembly passed House Bill 646 which prompted a data center study commission to review the potential impacts of data centers. HB 646 passed mid-March and the committee has since been working to gather and review information.

Schilling said the commissioners were invited to Columbus to testify in front of the General Assembly on June 8. The original date was May 26 but had since been rescheduled.

“We’ll be in Columbus that day testifying in front of the General Assembly to hopefully gain them a little more understanding of what kinds of impacts this is for local communities and residents here in Washington County,” he said.

According to the Ohio House of Representatives 136th General Assembly, HB 646 was the result of the “rapid growth of data centers in Ohio and the many unanswered questions regarding their development.”

The bill created a Data Center Study Commission with members appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine, Speaker of the House, President of the Senate to report their findings.

Schilling wanted to inform the public that the commissioners had a “productive meeting” on Wednesday with the developers of the proposed Waterford data center.

During the regular commission meeting Thursday, Schilling provided some updates on where they’re at in the process.

He said no agreements or contracts have been made and this meeting was the first once since March 18.

“We’ve set out a couple of dates for future meetings when it comes to negotiating a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes),” he said. “We’ve also laid out some tentative dates for a public meeting in Waterford the community’s been asking for.”

June 1, 2026

Association & Member