Digging into Troy's Priorities for 2024

The Mayor tells the Miami Valley Today what the city has planned for 2024 and the budget shows how much will be spent.

On February 20th, the City of Troy unveiled on their Facebook page a collection of pie charts detailing the city's budget plans for 2024, including expenditure and funding sources. This effort appears aimed at enriching public understanding of the annual budget, a vital government policy document. Previously, the city's budget explanations, often presented in complex spreadsheets, were not easily understandable to the general public.

Among the displayed charts, one notably highlighted the distribution of funds across areas deemed strategic priorities by the city: Economic Development, Infrastructure, Safety, and Quality of Life. However, while this visual provided a clear overview of resource allocation, it fell short of delving into the specifics of these categories. A deeper dive into how these funds are utilized is crucial for a tangible understanding of the impact this spending has on our community.

Luck would have it that on February 28th, the city's Mayor provided a detailed list of community goals for 2024 within these key areas, as shared with the Miami Valley Today. This harmonization of the budgetary details with the Mayor's objectives offers a clearer picture of the city's direction. Today’s discussion will synthsize the 2024 goals put foward by the Mayor with the financial information provided through the City’s Facebook page.

• Infrastructure/Utilities - $27,890,290 (44% of the budget):

  • Infrastructure and utilities are critical to community functioning, covering everything from roads to water treatment. The Mayor did not delineate infastructure projects from utility projects, so for purposes of analyis, the two budget categories have been combined. The city's 2024 plan allocates nearly $28 million to these areas. Key projects outlined by the Mayor include:

    • Completing a $14 million expansion of the Waste Water Treatment Plant.

    • Beginning Phase II of the West Main Street Corridor Reconstruction Project.

    • Resurfacing Elm Street.

    • Repaving 12-14 lane miles of local roads.

    • Improving safety at the Water Treatment Plant by switching chlorine processing from gas to liquid.

    • Completing the South Stanfield Road Reconstruction Project, Phase II.

• Safety - $14,173,256 (22% of the budget):

  • Public safety, encompassing emergency services and safe streets, is a fundamental government duty. This year's safety priorities include:

    • Assisting with the Miami County-wide Fire Operations Study.

    • Relocating the Police Department Firing Range.

    • Completing design engineering for the removal of the Great Miami River low head dam.

    • Taking receipt of new ambulances.

    • Continuing recruitment in Police and Fire Departments.

• Quality of Life - $10,356,776 (16% of the budget):

  • "Quality of Life" encompasses a broad range of initiatives, with over $10 million dedicated to enhancing community well-being. The Mayor's listed goals for this category include:

    • Commissioning a study for the renovation and expansion of the Troy Aquatic Park.

    • Implementing new payment options, including "text to pay."

    • Upgrading the Senior Citizens Center with an ADA-compliant entrance and patio.

    • Celebrating significant events with community activities, such as the Total Solar Eclise and the 100th Anniversary of the Troy Foundation.

    • Upgrading softball field lighting at North Market Ball Fields.

    • Hosting and sending delegations to Takahashi City, Japan, as part of a cultural exchange.

  Despite these initiatives, there's criticism that they do not address the key issues of transportation, child care, and housing highlighted in recent studies and reports over the past few years. Furthermore, the public deserves a deeper discussion about how some of these efforts, like implementing new payment options improves our community’s collective “quality of life”.

• Economic Development - $7,142,188 (9% of the budget):

  • Economic development is crucial for funding essential services and enhancing quality of life. The city's economic goals for 2024 focus on:

    • Gaining approval for the Comprehensive Plan update.

    • Addressing the Tavern Building property for West Main Street's reopening.

    • Redeveloping the Spinnaker property on East Water Street.

    • Opening public restrooms in the Mayflower Building.

    • Assembling industrial space serviced by city utilities.

    • Conducting a European trade mission to foster business relationships.

This comprehensive analysis, complete with the Mayor's detailed goals, should invite a deeper conversation on how these efforts collectively contribute to the city's overall quality of life and urging a closer look at the allocation and effectiveness of public funds. Public budgeting is making sure our priorities are right and the amount of resources we spend on each priority is spent on the right activities. What do you think about the city’s spending? Please feel free to answer our poll questions and leave your ideas and insights in the comment section.

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