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E-mail Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > June > 02 > Entry
Researcher paints gloomy picture of Dayton’s economy
Stock and Breitenbach
A researcher painted a bleak economic outlook Monday for business and community leaders seeking to help Dayton schools plan for a November levy.
Richard Stock, director of the Business Research Group at the University of Dayton, said the city has seen declines — and in some cases dramatic drops — in employment, median income and real estate values in recent years.
Stock said the prospects for a recovery in the next three years are slim. And while the tax burden in Dayton is lower when compared to nearby communities, it feels heavier to city residents who, on average, have much lower incomes.
“There are reasons why lower income people are concentrated in the city of Dayton,” he said. “There is a reason why, as a collective, they make decisions about the kinds of taxes they can afford.”
Stock gave his report to a committee that is reviewing the city school district’s operations to recommend changes that might bring cost savings with the goal of reducing the size of the November school levy.
Tom Breitenbach, president of Premier Health Partners and chair of the group, said he was still optimistic about the levy’s chances, despite Stock’s report on the economy. He pointed to recent successes in countywide levies for Human Services and Sinclair Community College, the resiliency of the school district and the community’s commitment to its schools.
“I think there is grounds for realistic optimism,” he said. “We shouldn’t view the statistics out of that wider context.”
Among the economic factors cited by Stock were:
—A steep decline in the employment index since 2000, in contrast to employment gains in Cincinnati, Ohio as a whole and nationally. The losses were driven by 33,000 job cuts in manufacturing over that period.
—Median income, adjusted for inflation, is 10.5 percent lower in Dayton today than in a decade ago and has fallen faster here than in any other major Ohio school district.
—The poverty rate for children age five to 17, which had improved strongly from 1995 to reach 24 percent in 2000, declined to 32.8 percent in 2005.
—The taxable value of real estate per student in Dayton, which grew steadily over the last decade, has now fallen to its lowest level in 20 years.
Permalink | Comments (21) | Post your comment | Categories: Dayton Public Schools
Comments
By Rick
June 4, 2008 5:40 PM | Link to this
Karon, for over two years you have been posting simplistic comments about the need for light rail. Blogger after blogger has requested that your provide a business case analysis. Yet, you continue to post unsubstantiated assertions. The Georgia Public Policy Foundation has a couple of interesting articles concerning the severe limitations on light rail. Including that it is much more heavily subsidized than other forms of transportation. Once built it is rigid, it cannot respond in a timely fashion to changes in ridership numbers, demographics, etc.
By SaveDayton
June 3, 2008 11:16 AM | Link to this
There are so many things in Dayton that have been allowed to take control through the past years of mayors and city commissions playing games and not wanting to actually stop, get rid of, and clean up the bad people. They have gotten what they want after years of pandering to certain groups for votes. That’s why the TV has so much bad to report. Is it New Orleans that’s worse than Dayton for crime? See a pattern? The same attitude that the welfare mentality that everyone else should pay the tuition for students to attent Sinclair community college is what led Dayton down. There are other universities taking state of Ohio money: Wright State, UD gets money in various ways, Edison, Clark Tech, MUMiddletown, MUHamilton, Miami U,Central State, and then we have many schools with branches here like Capital. Why do we need to subsidize Sinclair more than we do through state taxes? Is there something special? Why do we need to subsidize DPS through extra taxes? It should be the property owners and state tax money mixed—which is what we already have!!! Somehow people think if it’s state money it’s someone else’s money.
By J
June 3, 2008 9:52 AM | Link to this
It’s a hard thing to try and be positive about a city when all you hear about in the news are shootings, gang violence, drug deals, young girls having more and more children. What if all the media took an entire week and reported on nothing but positive stories. I am so tired of hearing about everything bad that happens in Dayton. I know there are good things here, we just never get to hear about them because the media feels the need to sensationalize crime. I truly believe that after that week, not only I would feel better about living here, but a lot of other people would too. You want another levy to pass, you need to start claiming the good for what you are promoting like Sinclair did. I did not agree with the levy increase but at least when I saw commercials for it touting the success stories I felt good about what the school did for people.
By Buford
June 3, 2008 9:49 AM | Link to this
DPS enrollment tanking; DPS students already costing more by at least two thousand dollars per student (to as much as five thousand dollars more per student); population in Dayton shrinking daily and monthly, year after year; jobs leaving; vacant houses throughout Dayton; forclosures headed up; welfare recipients increasing; increased property taxes for Human Services and Sinclair; refusal of State government officials to switch from property tax support levies for public schools - even in continued face of Supreme Court decisions against it. Right!! Not one more farthing out of me and my kin.
By SaveDayton
June 2, 2008 9:33 PM | Link to this
AJ says they were here for only 8 years. Not a good return on the extra investment. Those in low income situations can get jobs, loans, grants, and help pay for their own junior college courses. I’ve got my own children to pay for 4 years in college without paying for someone else to go to college. People in Miami, Preble, Dark, Butler, don’t seem to have trouble paying a little higher tuition at Sinclair; or do they all “move” to Montgomery country to claim residence and lower tuition?
By bob
June 2, 2008 8:23 PM | Link to this
Groundhog is right, Dayton needs a subway system, but we also need more roads and highways. Just look at any big city, what do you see? Lots of roads and highways. Right now we have I-75 and I-70. Just think, if we only built two more highways we would double the jobs in Dayton, yeah!
By karon
June 2, 2008 8:19 PM | Link to this
This city cant comeback this city was Not Dayton,it was Jersey City NJ. Today Jersey City is totally different.They have a wonderfull mass transit system, this transit system help create a booming ecomony for Jersey City! Dayton city council must changed there way of thinking if Dayton wants to go into the 21century.
By marlene
June 2, 2008 7:51 PM | Link to this
The truth of the matter is Dayton is going downhill…and downhill quickly. Turning into one giant slum. The city commision is fooling themselves if they think things are going to improve. I do not understand whay some people pour money into fixing up a decripit home in a bad neighborhood. i left win i could to spokane,washington. No state income tax,clean air,beautiful mountains,good schools, no slums, low to no crime,dayton i will never come back. i am not racist..so i say to ALL blacks and whites,get out while you can. There is no hope left.Dayton will one day be so bad the police will be unable to protect people.
By AJ
June 2, 2008 6:53 PM | Link to this
Those Sinclair levies are worth it. By keeping tuition low you are enabling those living in poverty or near poverty to pursue higher education. I benefited from Sinclair’s low tuition and graduated from nursing in ‘95. I worked as an RN in Dayton for 8 years-meeting the needs of the Dayton community that approved the levies.
By Tony
June 2, 2008 5:16 PM | Link to this
Not to mention Dayton is a crime ridden shot em up every week.
By moved2maryland
June 2, 2008 5:04 PM | Link to this
Unfortunately, Dayton has been dying for years. Significant job loss, poor school systems, high drug activity throughout the 80’s and 90’s, kids having kids, single parent households due to absentee dads lead to an increase in crime and a loss of population. These seeds were planted years ago and unfortunately the crop is harvesting. Pray.
By Shirley
June 2, 2008 3:40 PM | Link to this
Dayton has been going down for a long time. I’ve lived here all my life and this is the worst that I have seen it. I fear for when I am forced to look for a job next time. As a clerical type person, Dayton is about as bad as it gets now. Can’t even get a job through the temp agencies (I was registered with 9 of them, all of them said they had nothing). If you are looking for a job, you might want to consider leaving Dayton, and vote Republican so you’re taxes aren’t raised. Democrats have to fund their programs for the people who don’t pay taxes. People who have paid taxes don’t qualify for the democrats’ programs. Vote Republican next time!
By Publius
June 2, 2008 3:25 PM | Link to this
We have too many school districts in Montgomery County. A countywide district would solve these problems.
By Groundhog
June 2, 2008 3:19 PM | Link to this
Forget the streetcars. Dayton needs a subway system. New York has a subway and look at their business district. A subway made it all happen there and it can do the same for Dayton. Let’s start digging today!
By bobby
June 2, 2008 3:02 PM | Link to this
Dave, One area that should be addressed by all school systems is health care insurance and healthcare costs. Eighty percent of most districts operating costs are in salary and benefits. Skyrocketing health care costs are budgetbusters for all school systems.Leadership from levy advocates like Premier Health Partners might be a good first step. Perhaps they could help the district with health care costs from the 900 million in liquid assets they hold.Not bad for a nonprofit…I have been told that 30% of real estate in the city is owned by non profits.Isn’t it time for them to participate? Scott, Do you know if 30% is accurate?
By SaveDayton
June 2, 2008 2:49 PM | Link to this
First, the welfare crowd, whether they deserve help or not, don’t care about utility bills—they’ve got someone else paying their expenses out of those folks’ own work and property tax checks. When people get the increases for Sinclair’s bamboozle and the Health and Human Services ripoff/make a job for administrators increase, they’ll figure out it’s worse than the parks increase for the county parks to help cover the work we’re doing for the City of Dayton’s parks. If the business people think they can slide through a levy for the schools like the human services county folks and Sinclair did, they’ve got a surprise. The older folks voted for HHS because they were scared not to do so. The bundling of the levy made it a threat to their additional services at taxpayers’ expense. Sinclair slid through because most people don’t understand inside millage and fell for the we’re wonderful because… advertising and decided Montgomery should subsidize even more the local people and teachers at Sinclair.
By me
June 2, 2008 2:02 PM | Link to this
I don’t understand why we don’t do like some other communities in other states and taxes the utilities.That way everyone pays for the school levys instead of only people with JOBS.When everyone has to pay for it including people on welfare then we will see how many of these things pass.
By karon
June 2, 2008 1:25 PM | Link to this
Dayton will have to consider a streetcar system if they want to create major change. The cities that have put in place streetcars are now booming! Transportation is the secret for a productive city.
By Dave
June 2, 2008 1:22 PM | Link to this
Interesting, but it leaves the key question un-answered: What can we do about it?
By bobby
June 2, 2008 12:39 PM | Link to this
The one and only chance to pass this levy is with Obamma euphoria this November. Should this levy not pass before taxpayers receive their 2008 property tax bill[tax bills are billed one year in arrears],there is no chance of levy passage. The support for Human Services and Sinclair levy will wain when folks look at their tax bill due in February 2009…. The usual group of nonprofits and unions will support this levy. The nonprofits pay little or no property tax and the unions benefit from school board decisions to use union labor to build the schools and run them. It seems absurd to ask taxpayers to increase their taxes to maintain salaries and benefits above the median income of those being taxed.
By Bob540
June 2, 2008 12:35 PM | Link to this
The “catch 22” for Dayton is that businsses and families won’t want to move into Dayton if the schools remain poor, but it becomes increasingly hard to adequately fund schools when citizens simply cannot afford additional taxes. Job losses have obviously hit Dayton very hard.