‘Good things going for us’; jobless rate casts shadow on bright spots

Mayor to discuss finances, public safety, street improvements.

Local reaction mixed on Obama’s switch on birth control provision
10:20 p.m.
City revenue streams going in different directions
9:23 p.m.
Police patrolling for overweight trucks
9:15 p.m.
Mild winter helps improve health
9:09 p.m.
Road opened after car strikes pole, knocking out power
8:55 p.m.
> More headlines

By Ryan Gauthier, Staff Writer 1:32 AM Thursday, March 18, 2010

MIDDLETOWN — Mayor Larry Mulligan will be in the spotlight tonight, March 18, as he delivers the 2010 State of the City address.

Mulligan said the major themes of his speech will be similar to those outlined during City Council’s annual planning retreat earlier this year: finances, public safety and street improvements.

“We’re just going to be recapping some of our major milestones from the past year,” Mulligan said. “I think we’ve got some good things going for us, but some challenges we’re dealing with everywhere from Section 8 to dealing with balancing out budget.”

Mulligan said the city is headed toward a bright future, but what do city leaders and recent statistics say about the state of Middletown?

Finance Director Russ Carolus said he has been seeing signs city finances are recovering after bottoming out late last year.

“I’m not ready to declare all well in the city of Middletown, but we may have hit the bottom,” Carolus said. “We’re going to have to wait a few more months to see where things come in, but I would say we’re watching with guarded optimism.”

The city still has a long way to go as it relates to health concerns, according to Health Commissioner Dave Winfough. He expressed concern with the level of smoking and obesity among Middletonians, but said the city is hoping to take a more proactive approach.

“The most logical and effective place to build wellness for the community is in work sites,” Winfough said. “We’re looking at a couple of fairly good wellness programs within the community and trying to craft our own version to offer to city businesses.”

Winfough praised Middletown City Schools’ efforts to combat obesity among the city’s youth.

City's jobless rate remains a concern as officials see signs of brighter tomorrow

The city’s new motto may be “bright past, brighter future,” but a stubborn unemployment rate casts a shadow on the future of Middletown.

Things are indeed beginning to look up financially for the city, according to Finance Director Russ Carolus.

“We’re taking care of business, being proactive and monitoring our finances carefully,” Carolus said.

Income tax collections are up for the second month in a row compared with 2009 figures, with the city bringing in approximately $430,000 more than at this point last year. Carolus said that bodes well for the city, which already has been managing its resources in a “fiscally conservative way.”

“We’re in a situation now where if we get in a little bit of an emergency, we’ve got the resources to be able to take care of those things,” Carolus said. “That’s something that bodes well for politicians and for the citizens of Middletown as well.”

Carolus pointed to the ongoing demolition of the former Sorg Paper Co. buildings along Main Street for possible redevelopment as a positive indication for Middletown.

“They did that with no help from us at all,” he said. “I don’t think companies make those decisions unless they have an economic reason to do so.”

Development in the city has been substantially higher than last year, with the number of permits issued through the department of community revitalization more than doubling 2009 numbers. Through February 2009, 61 permits for a valuation of $1.3 million were granted by city staff, while so far this year 133 have been issued for a total valuation of nearly $2.9 million.

Middletown has thus far been unable to shake the effects of the national recession , with unemployment rates in the city representing some of Butler County’s highest. Both Hamilton’s and Middletown’s rates rose to 12.5 percent, according to January figures, substantially higher than the 10.9 percent rate reported throughout the remainder of the county.

Unemployment was at 11.3 percent in December 2009, showing a clear increase in out-of-work residents within the city.

Maurice Maxwell, executive director of Family Service of Middletown, said the social service organization has seen a “steady increase in the numbers of people coming in for service.”

“We’re not seeing a spike, but rather a gradual increase in the numbers of clients who are coming to us,” he said. “We’re looking at somewhere around a 19 percent increase in the numbers this year versus last year at this time.”

Maxwell said a large portion of their clients are coming in for the first time, likely attributable to job loss in general. While those figures might be enough to paint a bleak picture about Middletown, Maxwell said he has seen plenty of positive signs as it relates to future development.

“When you’ve got a downturn at the level we’ve seen, our population can become pretty discouraged,” he said. “The developments under way are encouraging for Middletown and will hopefully provide opportunities for citizens seeking employment.”

Share this article