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Township fights its way back after major hurdles
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: April 11, 2013
Many municipalities have problems but few have suffered the fate of Boston Township. The Summit County township’s troubles began after President Gerald Ford signed the bill establishing the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area on Dec. 27, 1974.
While Ford’s decision led to what is today one of the most popular national parks in the country, it also resulted in Boston Township losing numerous homes and residents and a large chunk of its tax base.
“It has been an uphill battle since the ‘70s,” said longtime trustee Randy Bergdorf. “That is when we began losing our tax base. A few of our trustees lost homes and families who had been living on the same property for years were forced to move.”
“More than 400 homes were lost,” said Fiscal Officer Joanne Noragon. “When the first director of the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area initiated the takeover, there was a huge outcry but after that the park began taking direction and became a place for hiking and then the towpath became a factor.
“Between the land that was acquired by the national park as well as what was taken by Summit County Metro Parks and the county, 92 percent of the township no longer contains taxable real estate,” said Noragon.
“When I moved here the township was about to go broke but we’ve made some major changes over the years to keep us solvent,” said Noragon.
Boston Township is one of the oldest townships in Summit County, with a history that began in the early 1800s when Alfred Wolcott came to the area from Connecticut with a surveying party that included James Stanford. When they returned to the area in 1806 they erected a cabin at the site of the present day Boston Cemetery. After a land swap between Wolcott and Stanford more settlers arrived, and on Jan. 15, 1811, Range 11, Town 4 of the Connecticut Western Reserve became Boston Township.
The township celebrated its bicentennial in 2011.
“We had a day-long carnival at the Woodridge Intermediate School and then we had an evening dance with music, food and fireworks at the Boston Township Hall,” said Bergdorf.
While many of the old farms have been lost due to the park expansion, Noragon said boutique farms are now cropping up as a result of the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Countryside Conservancy’s efforts to rehabilitate and revive some of the older farms in the park.
“It does not represent what was here but it can make for an experience for visitors,” said Noragon. “For example there is place called Goatfeathers Point Farm that sells goat milk and cheese and Greenfield Berry Farm.”
In 1985, officials found themselves dealing with another major problem when the two buildings that were part of township hall were closed by order of the Fire Marshal. The buildings had served as schoolhouses, with the first one being constructed in 1887 and the second dating back to the 1920.
In 1990 the nonprofit Boston Township Hall Committee was formed, taking on the task of coordinating the renovation of the buildings. The $1.2 million renovation began in 1999 and today the buildings house the township offices, the Cuyahoga Valley Historical Museum, professional firm offices and rooms that can be rented for parties or receptions.
Bergdorf said the loss of tax revenue really took its toll in the mid-‘90s, about 20 years after the national park service began acquiring land and homes.
Since then the township has been working closely with surrounding communities in an effort to pool its resources. For example, he said officials have contracted the village of Peninsula to provide police protection and the two municipalities have a joint board, which maintains the cemeteries. In addition, the Valley Fire District, which is a separate entity, provides fire and emergency response services to the township, village of Peninsula and the national park.
Police and fire levies are required to cover the township’s expenses.
According to Noragon, the biggest challenge is keeping up with road repairs.
“We collect $9,800 in the road fund each year, which does not pay for much of anything and another $20,000 in the general fund,” said Noragon. “The park draws about 2.2 million visitors each year who use the roads, and we have $9,800 to maintain them which does not go far.
“We have received grant money from the park but it does not cover all the expenses and we have to match the grants,” said Noragon. “As a result, we use community development block grants, if available, to pave our residential roads and we have to look for money all the time.”
One way officials are able to help plug the gap is through the joint economic development district (JEDD) which the township shares with Cuyahoga Falls. The agreement was entered into in 2004 but did not take effect until 2006. It allows the township to receive 40 percent of the income taxes collected in the JEDD. In exchange for the agreement, Cuyahoga Falls gave up the right to annex any additional township land.
Since the JEDD area is part of Summit County’s Metropolitan Sewer District, the sewer service is owned and operated by the county. Plans are in the works to extend the sewer line from the Seasons Road Pump Station into the township.
“Bringing sewer and water to the JEDD area is going to be expensive but it is part of our long-range plans so we are keeping our eye on the target,” said Bergdorf. “It would allow for more commercial activity.”
Also in the works is the development of a joint economic zone (JEDZ), which would involve a collaborative effort between Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson, Stow and the township. It would include 67 acres of land currently located within the JEDD, and the township’s share of the income tax revenue would remain 40 percent.
“The purpose of the agreement is to further grow and develop the Seasons Road interchange area where Summa Western Reserve Hospital is supposed to move,” said Bergdorf.
In addition, Bergdorf said talks are underway to create a new joint economic development district (JEDD) with the village of Peninsula that would allow the township to collect potential payroll taxes on park-owned and other properties located in the township.
“For example, employees who work in the Cuyahoga Valley Railroad office are not paying income tax,” said Bergdorf. “If there was a JEDD that would change.”
The largest employer in Boston Township right now is Suncrest Gardens, a landscape development and management company and retail garden center, on Akron-Cleveland Road.
Other businesses include Kamper City on Akron-Cleveland Road, Sunbelt Rentals, which rents construction equipment and tools, Doug’s Dinner Bucket, the Don-El Motel and Boston Mills Ski Resort.
“The ski resort has been in business for years and would be part of the proposed JEDD with Peninsula,” said Bergdorf.
The newest addition to Boston Township is Direct Air Systems Inc., a full-service HVAC equipment sales company.
Bergdorf said the township’s past financial woes actually worked in its favor during the recent downturn.
“We had a long history of having to be creative to make ends meet so I think we were more prepared than other communities,” said Bergdorf.
As a result, he said the township was able to maintain services and avoid layoffs.
Foreclosures were not a big problem either.
“We have fewer than 300 homes,” said Noragon. “Some people fell behind in their taxes and we might have had one or two foreclosures but not a large number.”
The fiscal officer said the township is struggling once again due to a major loss in state revenue. “For years the township received a portion of Ohio’s sales tax revenue and in 2012 the state took half of the money back, which has had a major impact.”
Still Bergdorf is hopeful that conditions will improve in the future.
“For many years residents in this area have had one of the highest tax burdens in the county. If we are able to set up the JEDD with Peninsula we will be able to get the township on more secure financial footing by transferring some of the tax burden from the residents to those working in the township.
“Personally I cannot imagine living anywhere else. Boston Township has a friendly small-town atmosphere and I like it,” said Bergdorf.