Property sales could see arise in price.

Now that the city has relinquish there oversight of the HUD program maybe we will see a rise in interest of new buyers/investors come back into town with the lure of a better bang for the buck. Middletown property has been on a down slide it seems since the city staff voiced there opinion on taking out the landlords in that UC report. I for one am glade to see them back to there own business and out of the private sector of people management because that's what it seemed like they were trying to do with the program.

Catalysts for property increases in Middletown.

1. Schools need to improve to the point that they will attract those higher income wage earners that care about quality education and may locate here. That would be more disposable income and create money flow in the community. Unfortunately, the schools are light years away from this accomplishment and because they are unwilling to change their operation and teaching methods for effectiveness, most of us will not see this in our lifetimes at the current pace nor will we stand a prayer's chance of luring high income wage earners.

2. City image needs to totally reverse compared to the perception now. City needs to unload the banner of low income capital of SW Ohio, and change the "ghetto theme" that has been evolving for the last decade or two. The city has gone from a respectable, hard-working blue collar community worthy of raising a family here, to a label of low income, ghetto-like wasteland offering little to nothing as to quality of life.

3. City needs to put as much emphasis on higher wage job creation as it does in downtown creation. Totally wrong city priorities to fix what ails this city. Decent paying jobs will attract those desiring a respectable standard of living and when money is spent in a community it attracts businesses which will create more choices in shopping, job opportunities and entertainment. Stop the fluffy nonsense that does nothing to help this city and focus on the important aspect of re-vitalization. Totally clueless on how to diagnose and repair the short and long term issues.

4. City competency/ common sense logic.....let's regain it. Doing the right thing the right way with the resources we have.....what a concept!!! It just might work if we had city leaders that were smart enough to try it.

IMO, until this happens, nothing will change nor improve......in any category you wish to discuss.

And now the problem. The people in charge of running this city don't comprehend any of this thinking.......or, sadly, they refuse to change their inept behavior that is tailored to a few while the majority get left out in the cold.

Several years ago the Planning Board decided that all the 40 x 200 lots could not longer have homes rebuilt on them.

So now all over the 1^st and 2^nd Wards you see empty demo lots that the city must now maintain. If the neighbor does not want to purchase the demo property it could set empty for years. 

City Hall may think that the demo of all this property was a great…however…with the demo of each property is another $1000 to $1500 in property taxes that are now gone forever from the coffers of City Hall.

Well we all know for a fact that the population is in decline
We also know that property taxes are still in decline
Business owners are leaving our city and yet city employees are still receiving increases in wages.
The only way City Hall can get out of this mess is an increase in taxes which will only hurt the city more in the long run.

Haven't seen any bulldozers around lately. I heard they are out of money. Now what?

I heartily disagree with Perplexed-I don't think the slow decline will continue under Dougie's rule-I think it's gonna accelerate into a friggin' landslide...