Local Issues, Growth & What It Means for Taxpayers
Union, Ohio is a small city with a unique governance structure and a strong local identity. Located on the western edge of Montgomery County, Union also extends into neighboring Preble County, creating an uncommon split-county jurisdiction.
This structure affects how taxes are administered, how services are coordinated, and how residents interact with local government. Understanding these dynamics helps residents and taxpayers better navigate local policies, budgeting decisions, and community planning.
Unique attributes
- Split-county jurisdiction: Union is incorporated as a city but physically spans Montgomery County and Preble County, which is uncommon and materially affects governance, taxation administration, courts, and service coordination.
- Small-city scale with rural edge: Union functions as a city in form, but residents often experience it as a hybrid—part small town, part semi-rural community.
- Gateway position: Located along the western edge of Montgomery County, Union often serves as a transition point between more urbanized eastern areas and rural western communities.
- Strong local identity: Despite the split county lines, Union maintains a cohesive civic identity centered on local schools, neighborhoods, and long-standing family ties.
Challenges
- Administrative complexity from split counties
- Property taxes, auditor oversight, court jurisdiction, and some public records processes differ depending on which side of the county line a property sits.
- Residents may interact with two different county systems while living in one city, which can create confusion and frustration.
- Service coordination
- Police, fire/EMS, road maintenance, and mutual aid often require cross-county agreements or coordination with townships and counties.
- Scale vs. expectations
- As a small city, Union faces city-level expectations for services and responsiveness—but without the tax base or staffing depth of larger municipalities.
- Infrastructure aging
- Streets, storm-water, and utilities require steady reinvestment, and costs are rising faster than revenue growth.
Financial situation
- City-level budgeting with small-community constraints
- Union operates a traditional municipal budget (general fund, street fund, etc.), but revenue growth is typically modest and highly sensitive to income tax collections and property tax allocations.
- Split-county tax administration
- Property tax assessments, billing, and some revenue flows are handled through two different county auditor systems, increasing administrative overhead and the need for precise coordination.
- Capital planning pressure
- Like many small cities, Union often faces “lumpy” capital expenses—one major road or utility project can dominate a fiscal year.
- Reliance on careful fiscal management
- Grant funding, shared services, and conservative budgeting are key tools to maintain stability without frequent levy requests.
Prevailing issues to watch
- Clarity and transparency for residents
- Helping residents understand which county handles which function (taxes, courts, records) is an ongoing governance need.
- Infrastructure funding
- Road and stormwater costs continue to rise, and small cities feel these increases more acutely on a per-household basis.
- Public safety sustainability
- Staffing, equipment replacement, and mutual-aid arrangements will remain cost drivers.
- Growth vs. preservation
- Modest development can help stabilize revenues, but residents often want growth that fits the community’s character.
- County coordination
- Any county-level policy shifts (property tax credits, administrative changes, court restructuring) can have uneven impacts depending on which side of Union residents are on.