Miami Conservancy District pauses flood benefits reappraisal

For now, this pause halts plans to implement updated property values when charging properties for flood protection in the form of assessments that appear on property tax bills. The last reappraisal made by the Miami Conservancy District was 12 years ago.

In addition to the reevaluation of flood benefits, the Miami Conservancy District has proposed a new 1% capital assessment and an increase to the maintenance assessment property owners already pay annually.

The Miami Conservancy District Board of Directors will need to reconsider the capital assessment that would have begun appearing on tax bills in 2025.

“We need to take a step back from that,” Miami Conservancy District general manager MaryLynn Lodor said.

Board member and Hamiltonian Mark Rentschler said historically high property values — a major consideration in calculating flood protection assessments charged to properties — put “an unfair burden” on small businesses and other property owners under the district’s current approach.

“We’re listening to your complaints,” Rentschler said. “We need to commit to evaluate and explore sustainable funding models as quickly as possible. The approach used by the conservancy district has been utilized multiple times over the last 100 years and was viewed to be fair and equitable for that time, but it’s time to consider the needs of today and for the future.”

Spooky Nook Sports complex owner Sam Beiler — whose annual assessments would have jumped to $478,000 — said he and other property owners were grateful for the decision.

“I don’t think anyone doubts the need for flood protection. I believe we need to find a better way to assess those costs in a less impactful way,” Beiler told the board on Friday. “So for everyone that’s had comments and has opinions, our challenge now is to move forward in good faith.”

Owners of hundreds of properties across the region would have been paying more than $1,000 a year to the Miami Conservancy District for flood protection if the proposed rate increases were implemented, according to data obtained by the Dayton Daily News.

More than 43,000 riverfront properties throughout Montgomery, Butler, Hamilton, Miami and Warren counties pay annual assessments for flood protection. Assessments are not taxes and appear as a charge on a property owner’s tax bill.

The pause to the reappraisal process was recommended by Lodor.

The recommendation followed public outcry from property owners who saw their estimated assessment totals increase significantly and after the conservancy district receiving letters from local lawmakers requesting the reconsideration of the reappraisal.

Keep Hamilton Afloat organizer David Stark, who is also with ArtSpace Hamilton Lofts, organized his campaign around the flood assessments, saying his estimated assessment charges would have been more than $10,000 annually.

He and others held a demonstration outside of Hamilton City Hall ahead of Friday’s special meeting.

“It is clear that you have listened,” he told the conservancy district board after Friday’s decision. “I believe that this moment will go down in Hamilton history. I thank you for the role, I daresay historic and heroic role, that has been played here.”

Under state law, conservancy districts cannot reappraise flood protection more frequently than every 6 years. Additionally, the Miami Conservancy District board of directors annually assigns the rate at which assessments are charged. These rates are approved by the Conservancy Court.

The pause on the reappraisal process is not a halt to assessments altogether, Lodor said. Properties will still be charged annually for flood protection, just not under the calculation that includes the updated property values.

The Miami Conservancy District will also be examining the possibility of a new exemption for property owners who pay flood assessments, called the hardship exemption. This objection would be for property owners who are financially unable to pay for their assessments, according to the board.

The pause of the reappraisal was praised by Butler County and regional leaders, as well as several residents living on the riverfront. But some residents offered words of caution at Friday’s meeting.

Payne Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church pastor Vanessa Cummings asked the board to consider reevaluating who is charged for flood protection, on top of its evaluation of the benefit calculation.

“When you’re looking at an equitable way to do this, everyone benefits when the rivers are protected, not just the people who were flooding in 1913,” she said. “So when you’re looking at how to do this, make sure that you’re looking at the fact that if the water floods, everybody, every community is going to be impacted.”