Valerie Duncan’s Views on City of Dayton issues 

In the position of a City Commissioner, it is also our responsibility to make decisions on the City’s Budget and policies that impact the City of Dayton. As a City Commissioner, I will be working diligently with the mayor and my fellow Commissioners to make decisions on the City’s budget and policies that ensure that Dayton issues are addressed. As City Commissioner, I will ensure that general funds are appropriated to Departments and their Divisions to adequately fund the operations of those departments.

As Dayton City Commissioner, it’s our responsibility to ensure that the policies and procedures of Dayton have a good impact on our neighborhood conditions for the benefit of its residents and to attract people to live and work in Dayton. My past work experience of 31 years working for the city government, has prepared me for the challenges that currently exist for the City of Dayton. In my public career, I have had the opportunity to work hand in hand with the City of Dayton’s day-to-day department operations to improve Dayton’s livability and stability. My expertise in city government will help implement City policies and programs that will include citizen involvement for results that benefit the residents of Dayton.

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

Good housing stock enhances the communities, attracts people to want to live in the areas, reduces crime, and reduces health, and safety issues. As a commissioner, I will commit to creating opportunities for rehabilitation, redevelopment, and homeownership 

The issues:

• The number of dilapidated and boarded houses in the City of Dayton.
• The lack of investment in the urban core of the city
• The build-up of trash in the alleys and roadways.

As commissioner, I will…

• Provide resources to abate the boarded-up houses to give Dayton residents an opportunity to become homeowners.
• Ensure programs for tax abatement should be provided for all residents to participate regardless of their income.
• Establish resources and funds to help restore historic structures throughout Dayton need to be established with resources and funds.
• Prioritize having the Dayton Development Coalition and similar neighborhood development corporations establish overall plans and objectives to acquire houses for repair, and restoration, to help with housing repair and help with home ownership. These same efforts that work to grow Downtown development need to be applied to all our Dayton neighborhoods.

The City Budget has been affected by the reductions of revenue by Covid 19 and the reduction of the State Local Fund that prevents cities and counties to pay for vital services and necessary revenues for our local schools.I will work as a team with my peers and other government officials to regain adequate funding levels from the State of Ohio to help Dayton, the county, and other communities to provide essential services. 

The most pressing fiscal issue facing Dayton is the possibility of not being able to provide services, such as police and Fire.  Due to Covid 19, Cities, Counties, and townships are facing a financial crisis. Like most cities, Dayton depends on payroll tax for revenue to fund Dayton’s budget. Because of the pandemic, workers who work from home but the job is outside of Dayton don’t pay any payroll tax to the City of Dayton. Cities and counties will get relief from the recent federal Recovery funding that Dayton is now appropriating.  Future funding solutions need to be found for cities that continue to lose revenue from workers who do not pay payroll tax.  

Viable Neighborhoods

There are several major issues facing the City of Dayton. The main concern with most neighborhoods is the overall conditions of our neighborhoods.   The major issues centered on the number of dilapidated and boarded houses in the City of Dayton. Other issues concerned the lack of investment in the urban core of the city and the feeling of abandonment. Other concerns are the build-up of trash in the alleys and roadways. The City of Dayton lacks facilities to assist Seniors, Women, Drug recovery,  the homeless, and Youth activities for young adults and children, along with food assistance. 

 There appears to be a lack of resources to abate the boarded-up houses and no programs to give Dayton residents an opportunity to become homeowners. Programs for tax abatement should be provided for all residents to participate regardless of their income. Housing programs for low and moderate-income families need to be created. Collaborating efforts can be done for those neighborhoods that suffer from housing blight by channeling resources to address these problems. The City of Dayton’s partnerships needs to be created for housing programs that give residents opportunities to become a homeowner.  Other programs that help restore historic structures throughout Dayton need to be established with resources and funds. There are several Historic districts throughout Dayton that need assistance in saving historic structures and restoring residential houses. There needs to be a greater effort on the City’s part to provide more assistance to our Historic districts.  The Dayton Development Coalition and similar neighborhood development corporations need to be established with an overall plan and objectives to acquire houses for repair, and restoration, to help with housing repair and help with home ownership.  Those efforts that are at work to grow Downtown development need to be applied to all our Dayton neighborhoods.

Commitment to the Development of our Neighborhoods

Major development is continuing to revitalize downtown Dayton. As a result, millions of dollars are being invested to help Downtown Dayton thrive. The City of Dayton needs to commit the same development investments and efforts to revitalize Dayton neighborhoods. We need new leadership to implement plans and get measured results.

Downtown has several organizations that develop downtown. These include the Downtown Dayton Partnership, Chamber of Commerce, City Wide Development Corporation, and the Dayton Development Coalition to name a few. With these organizations, downtown Dayton is focused on Downtown, as a place to work, live and visit. There is a comprehensive plan that is structured to help attract residents, businesses, visitors, and downtown investment. The same efforts and focus by the City of Dayton need to happen with the rest of the city neighborhoods. Some Dayton neighborhoods lack a grocery store. They are called “food deserts” because they lack any stores for their residents.

The prime stabilizer in the City of Dayton neighborhoods is its housing stock. Good housing stock enhances the communities, attracts people to want to live in the areas, reduces crime, and reduces health, and safety issues. Neighborhoods become safe places to live and raise your families. Blighted houses in the areas cause eyesores. They also attract criminal elements into the communities. The empty houses are causing health and safety issues and are not adequately addressed. Families next to vacant houses feel unsafe. There is an increased possibility of fire hazards. Blighted houses unabated can encourage all sorts of illegal activities that are not healthy for the livability of the neighborhoods. There is a need to increase housing inspections to save those houses that will only add to further blight.

The abandoned houses become a liability and potentially can affect the livability of the houses next to these vacant structures. The City of Dayton Commission needs to commit to appropriate funds to remedy these housing problems by demolishing chronically deteriorated houses. At the same time, we need to create opportunities for rehabilitation, redevelopment, and homeownership. The City of Dayton Commission needs to be committed to addressing the housing blight of our city neighborhoods. That includes adequate allocation of the City of Dayton general funds and the $138,000 million Dayton Recovery funds. As your Dayton Commissioner, I will be committed to addressing the issues of our neighborhoods including the chronic housing blight, and creating housing programs that create opportunities for homeownership, Residential Repair, Restoration, low-income and moderate housing, and senior housing for our residents.

The current City Commission has not acted to alleviate the housing problems and now there are thousands of run-down and boarded houses to do something about.  The current City Commission needed to “DO SOMETHING”  As your elected City Commissioner, that is exactly my plan” DO SOMETHING”

Some of my competitors, who are currently on the City Commission, want to give you the impression that they care about the neighborhoods and the housing problems, but what have they done about any of these issues since they have been on the City Commission?  

BRIDGE THE GAPS FOR THOSE IN NEED

The City with the County needs to focus on our residents including help for seniors, the homeless, women with many social and financial problems, and people coping with drug recovery by providing comprehensive programs and facilities.  

The issues:

• The City of Dayton lacks facilities to assist Seniors, Women, Drug recovery, the homeless, and Youth activities for young adults and children, along with food assistance.
• The EPA has found pollutants in areas in Dayton at four sites in Dayton includes McCook and Old North Dayton neighborhoods.
• Chemical runoffs from the City of Dayton airport and the Wright Patterson Air force base have contributed to chemical contaminants that are getting into Dayton’s water

As commissioner, I will…

• Prioritize creating more technical training and education programs that improve skills for higher-paying jobs at all age levels including at high schools.
  
• Focus on increasing apprenticeships with our Dayton Fire, Police Departments, and Dayton Trade Unions. There is currently a Dayton Firefighters training program at Belmont High school and I will encourage and support expanding these efforts across more schools and community centers.
  
• Assist by encouraging and requiring Corporate sponsors that are given tax abatements to support the Dayton School youth activities and youth mentoring programs.
  
• Require the City Recreation Centers to provide quality, impactful and measurable afterschool programs to our youth.
• Prioritize the development of a regional board to protect the Dayton water supply that serves the Miami Valley region
• Collaborate with regional and local agencies to correct the spill-off of ground pollutants

The City with the County needs to focus on our residents including help for seniors, the homeless, women with many social and financial problems, and people coping with drug recovery by providing comprehensive programs and facilities.   We also need to create more technical training and education programs that improve skills for higher-paying jobs at all age levels including at high schools.  This would include apprenticeships with our Dayton Fire, Police Departments, and Dayton Trade Unions. There is currently a Dayton Firefighters training program at Belmont High school.  Additional programs that involve High School level students need to expand into apprenticeships for Fire, Police, and Trades.

Steward of Our Water Resource

Several years ago the burning of the Sherwin-William warehouse showed that chemicals can contaminate the Great Miami aquifer that supplies water to millions of people. Our protection of drinking water needs to remain a top priority for the City of Dayton. Our watershed covers 13 counties. The aquifer waters can be contaminated by all sorts of sources including contaminates from improper releases of industrial waste and hazardous waste of chemicals. Dayton has already shut down water production wells where a fire-fighting foam has been released next to the Tait’s Hill well field. The EPA has found pollutants in areas in Dayton.  The City of Dayton and other agencies need to commit millions of dollars to address the chemical hazards of the City of Dayton’s water supply.  As your Next City Commissioner, I am committed to being a good steward of the Dayton water supply that serves the Miami Valley region and doing what it takes to tackle this important issue.

There are over 400,000 people that use the water in Montgomery county.  The EPA has found pollutants in areas of Dayton. The site at the Behr Dayton thermal VOC plume is located on the old Chrysler operations. Groundwater beneath the plant is contaminated with volatile organic compounds. Polluted groundwater has migrated underground through residential, commercial, and industrial areas.  Valleycrest landfill is another site that has contaminated soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals. The landfill has been identified and listed by the EPA since 1994. Work is soon to begin to install a large cap over the landfill sites. 

 Other pollutants from the chemical runoffs from the City of Dayton airport and the Wright Patterson Air force base have contributed to chemical contaminants that are getting into Dayton’s water. The City of Dayton needs to address the issue of water quality and be more proactive. We shouldn’t wait until there is a region’s water crisis.  The City needs to take the necessary actions to prevent the drinking water from becoming contaminated and those pollutants affect the health of our families with children. 

The City Commission needs to be committed to Dayton’s safe and quality water. There are currently some ongoing problems with the contaminants in our watersheds. Those problems are being addressed in some neighborhoods by the EPA.  EPA is working with the residents to address pollutants at four sites in Dayton and Riverside through the Superfund program. Part of one of the sites affects the McCook and Old North Dayton neighborhoods called the Behr Dayton Thermal VOC Plume. Groundwater beneath the old Chrysler plant is contaminated with volatile organic compounds that have affected residential, commercial, and industrial areas. EPA is working with the affected communities. EPA efforts are ongoing and cleanup is continuing with the residents involved in the process.   Regional and other local agencies need to collaborate their efforts to correct the spill-off of ground pollutants, have a backup power supply in place, and other infrastructure efforts for our water supply that serves the Miami Valley region.

NEIGHBORHOOD AND SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Dayton needs to have neighborhoods that are safe, viable, and livable places to raise your families.

The issues:

• In fairness to the efforts of police reform, the original complaint needs to be submitted to the Community Appeals Board for review and to make recommendations to the police department, where it is then submitted to the department for their review and response.
• Unsafe structures standing open or abandoned are taking a toll on entire neighborhoods
• We are defunding existing programs that work like the Minority Business Assistance Center and leaving minority owned businesses in limbo with no services while they try to create something new with no proven track record.
  

As commissioner, I will…

• Focus on increasing apprenticeships with our Dayton Fire, Police Departments, and Dayton Trade Unions. There is currently a Dayton Firefighters training program at Belmont High school and I will encourage and support expanding these efforts across more schools and community centers.
• Support existing programs by making sure they are fully funded and reviewing data to critical solve gaps in needs
• Commit to solving blight through supporting rehabilitation programs inspired by other successful cities. The improvement to our neighborhoods will drive small business into those areas
• Make sure our tax abatements come with commitments that will help us serve our youth and youth services.
  

The other need is the economic development of undeveloped land within the City of Dayton. This can be done with a true dedication to those efforts by the City. Again, by helping the development of our neighborhoods with new housing development in undeveloped land with the $138,00 million Dayton Recovery funds. Creating housing programs that will lead to homeownership by our Dayton residents.  Dayton also needs to help small business development.  Various programs need to be created to revitalize our business districts and help with business investments for all of our businesses.  

 Stable housing stock equals good neighborhoods. Stable neighborhoods attract people who want to live in Dayton. Dayton needs to have neighborhoods that are safe, viable, and livable places to raise your families. Blighted houses in the neighborhoods cause eyesores.  Families next to vacant houses feel unsafe.   This increases the possibility of other hazards such as fire.  Blighted houses unabated can encourage all sorts of illegal activities causing problems for the residents of the neighborhoods.

Dayton needs to commit millions of the Dayton Recovery money to address blighted houses and at the same time create programs that will cause redevelopment and homeownership. The City of Dayton Commission needs to commit the majority of the $138,000 million in Recovery funds to stabilize and revitalize all of our city neighborhoods and businesses.

 As your Dayton Commissioner, I am committed to adequately funding the departments that are responsible for housing issues. That the $138 million that has been allocated to the City of Dayton, will be used to address the issues of our neighborhoods and create housing programs that will lead to homeownership including for senior, moderate, and low-income residents.  Provide facilities that help senior needs, women’s needs, homeless needs, drug recovery needs, and youth activities.

Downtown has several organizations that develop downtown. These include the Downtown Dayton Partnership, Chamber of Commerce, City Wide Development Corporation, and the Dayton Development Coalition to name a few. With these organizations, downtown Dayton is focused on Downtown, as a place to work, live and visit. There is a comprehensive plan that is structured to help attract residents, businesses, visitors, and downtown investment. The same efforts and focus by the City of Dayton need to happen with the rest of the city,  neighborhood shopping areas, and small businesses in Dayton.  Some Dayton neighborhoods lack grocery stores. They are called “food deserts” because they lack any stores for their residents.  More effort needs to be made to alleviate this lack of food stores in Dayton.

Collaboration with the Dayton Public schools

The Dayton school board and Dayton City Commission need to work together for the benefit of our young people and our community. The role of the City of Dayton would be to act as a partner in joint efforts with the Dayton School board. The City of Dayton can assist by encouraging Corporate sponsors to assist the Dayton School youth activities. Corporate sponsors also can provide the necessary support in youth mentoring programs.  The City of Dayton can also work to identify with the School Board after-school programs that can include the use of the City Recreation Centers.

Protect our citizen’s Civil Rights 

The City of Dayton Commission needs to remain committed to protecting the citizens of Dayton’s Civil Rights.  Support efforts against racism and facilitate efforts that educate the public on At Large issues such as poverty, and homelessness, and identify social resources to help those in need.  The City of Dayton Human Rights Council is responsible for the enforcement of anti-discrimination ordinances.  These ordinances protect our residents from discrimination, employment, housing, public accommodations, and credit transactions on the basis of an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, ancestry, national origin, place of birth, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.  As a City Commissioner, I will ensure that these ordinances are upheld and carried out equitably and fairly. 

Dayton’s Police Reform

The City of Dayton has made efforts to address the use of force and Racism.  After several meetings of various working groups, several recommendations for police reforms were proposed in Dayton. Currently, when there is a complaint concerning a police response, the city administration submits the complaint, directly to the police department.  If it is not resolved, then it will be given to the Community Appeals Board for review. In fairness to the efforts of police reform, the original complaint needs to be submitted to the Community Appeals Board for review and to make recommendations to the police department, where it is then submitted to the department for their review and response.

 I Have attended several neighborhood meetings and several issues and concerns have been discussed. Not only are there concerns of dilapidated housing stock, but also speeding, lack of youth activities, like the Boys Club,  trash and debris, and the lack of retail stores. The problems of blight have caused several problems for Dayton neighborhoods. Unsafe structures standing open or abandoned are taking a toll on entire neighborhoods such as throwing trash and bulk items onto the boarded properties.  In our urban areas of Dayton, a lot of residents rent. Innovative Programs need to be created by the City of Dayton Commission to assist Neighborhood Development Corporations and to provide the required funds to repair houses, restore historic residences and help residents become homeowners. There are other issues, including the quality and safety of the water resources.

The top budget priority for Dayton is to address the city’s housing problems and make a commitment to fund needed programs.  Protect Dayton’s drinking water by being proactive in correcting the current problems of contaminants that exist in our water supply.  Keep our neighborhoods safe. Bring about positive and measured Police reform and work with the Dayton Public School Board to better our young people’s future.