November is the unofficial start of winter, and the official month of Thanksgiving. It seems the weather has brought winter in early on some days, and on other days it seems it was trying to hang onto fall! Our farmers have had a devil of a time getting crops in because of the rainfall this month, and at this writing, there is still plenty to harvest.
November turned out to be eventful in the Commissioner’s office. This month saw us get a handle on the budget for next year. Thanks to the conservative hard work our elected officials along with the Commissioner’s Office we will have a balanced budget for 2019. This budget issue was the fault of none of our officials, nor the Commissioners; this was a revenue loss from the State, along with increased demands for other mandates. With the new administration, these problems can be solved in the future. We have met the new Governor and Lt. Governor and expressed our concerns, along with the County Commissioner’s Association (C.C.A.0.), and it seems very hopeful a new era of co-operation can be reached.
The Courthouse security issue is closer to being resolved, we hope. We have all agreed that one entrance only is the preferred way to secure the Courthouse. We have come up with a plan to do just that, and that will mean closing the front steps and back door to the public, using them for emergency exit only, and having a new entrance in the front that is handicap accessible. The front steps will remain the same for the time being, and in the near future, we will hopefully be able to do a proper set for the front of the Courthouse.
Looking back on 2018, this has been a banner year for the County. We have seen Midmark invest upwards of 44 million dollars in a new Research center, BASF has invested 30 million in new equipment for new customers, and Whirlpool has installed the first wind turbines in Darke County to help defer some of their electrical costs. The Early Bird has moved to its new home in Downtown Greenville and we want to welcome them and wish them much fortune in their new location! Our unemployment rate is still very low, and our businesses are still hiring. Greenville has won more awards from Ohio Magazine for being the best in eight different categories again! All of our small town festivals in the County were well attended and the Main Street Greenville Horse parade was named the best in Ohio, along with The Garst Museum and others!
All-in-all, this has been a good year for the County, and we see no real slowdown in economic development and growth for 2019. When you stop and really think about it, we have a lot to be thankful for this year. Things are good here, it’s a great place to live and work with lots to do for everyone. Not every place can say that!
Now that November has come and gone, and by now we should all be out of our turkey coma, it is time to get back to a regular routine until Christmas. While you are out shopping or just looking around, you may stop in any Monday or Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at the Commissioner’s office in downtown Greenville and catch one of our open public sessions. We are located at 520 South Broadway, just south of the Courthouse.
Hope to see you soon!
The Darke County Commissioners
