The Future of Xenia, Ohio: Mayoral Candidate Outlines Vision for Infrastructure, Business Growth, and Downtown Revitalization

The 2024/2025 Xenia, OH election cycle is centering on critical issues of infrastructure, economic development, and community well-being. In a must-watch interview, local Realtor and TV Host Adam Martin sat down with a leading candidate for Xenia Mayor to discuss the crucial issues affecting the city's future, from the influx of new homes to the ambitious Market District project.

This keyword-rich summary dives into the candidate's platform, offering a clear perspective on how they plan to move Xenia forward while preserving its small-town charm.

Potholes to Prosperity: The Plan to Fix Xenia's Failing Infrastructure

The most pressing issue facing Xenia is the challenge of its aging roads and utilities, compounded by rapid growth. With 1,400 new homes planned to enter the area, the city's existing infrastructure is under immediate strain.

The candidate’s core strategy revolves around two major points:

1. A Responsible Growth Strategy: New, higher-end homes (some already selling for over $400,000 in developments like Grandstone Trace) bring in substantial new tax revenue. The candidate proposes taking those new tax dollars and directing them back into fixing the already-failing infrastructure of the older parts of the city.

2. The Critical Tax Levy: The interview highlighted the importance of the 0.24% income tax levy currently on the ballot, which is solely dedicated to street repair. If the levy passes, Xenia could fix nearly every street in 15 years. If it fails, the process is projected to take 30 to 35 years. The urgency is clear, especially since the city has already spent more on road repairs in the last two years than in the last decade combined. Specific, highly-damaged streets like King Street are slated for repair by 2027.

Key Takeaway: The candidate's plan balances reasonable growth with a dedicated funding stream to address a problem 40 years in the making.

From Red Tape to Red Carpet: Attracting New Business and Amenities

A common frustration among new Xenia families and residents moving from outside the area is the lack of amenities for children and teens, such as movie theaters or "Get Air" style attractions. The candidate argues that the government cannot guarantee these businesses move to Xenia, but it can create an environment where they want to.

The vision is simple: move the Mayor’s role from tax collector to "Cheerleader".

• Scaling Back Government: The candidate, a 15-year Xenia business owner, detailed frustrations with current city regulations. They propose eliminating excessive fees and requirements, citing instances like a $150/hour sign fee or mandating $10,000 in architectural drawings just to paint a space.

• Incentivizing Investment: The plan includes being more inviting with incentives like CRA tax abatements to lower the financial threshold for new businesses and family-owned operations to establish roots.

• Business Roundtable: To ensure city council is fixing the right problems, the candidate aims to establish a roundtable of business owners and Realtors (like Adam Martin) to directly identify bureaucratic hurdles that need to be scrapped.

Capitalizing on the Market District & State Connections

The Xenia Market District is described as a "huge gamble" and the city's largest redevelopment effort ever. This $140-150 million mixed-use project will revitalize the former Towne Square into a walkable downtown hub with retail, restaurants, townhomes, and hospitality venues (hotels).

To ensure this critical project succeeds, the candidate emphasizes:

• Oversight and Accountability: Maintaining close communication with the developer (Dillin) to ensure updates and progress.

• Leveraging State Power: Working for the State of Ohio has allowed the candidate to build connections crucial for funding. They successfully leveraged these relationships to secure $150,000 in capital budget funding—the first capital budget money Xenia received since the late 1970s following the tornado. The promise is to continue "hunting for more money" through grants and state connections.

Balancing Compassion and Safety: Homelessness and Communication

Addressing social challenges while maintaining safety is a priority. The candidate advocates for a strategy that is "tough on crime, but tough on the causes of crime".

Instead of simply penalizing public disorder, the city must work with local organizations like COACH, Emerge, and Bridges of Hope to address the root issues: mental health and addiction. The focus is on providing job skill training and finding jobs that offer purpose, thereby offering hope and stability to those in need.

Finally, a key component of the platform is better communication. The candidate plans to improve outreach beyond the annual booklet, proposing a system similar to Congressional "franking privileges" to send short, condensed mailers to residents quarterly. This would provide clear updates on fixed roads, available citizen resources (like the previously-mismanaged CHIP program), and what is happening at City Hall.