It's Time to Put Batavia Families and Schools Ahead of Corporate Tax Breaks
I'm Randy Dorsey, special education teacher with nearly 20 years of experience in Clermont County and candidate for Batavia Village Council. I'm running to fight for responsible abatements, support our schools and services, and ensure Batavia's growth benefits everyone.
Randy Dorsey Introduction
The Crisis By The Numbers
Estimated impact if everything is built out and fully abated as indicated
This ends now.
The Cost of Developer Tax Breaks
Tax breaks for developers reduce funding for our schools and essential services. The full development of tax-abated communities, including Streamside, Harvest Meadows, the luxury apartments, and the Bauman project near the airport, is estimated to significantly decrease revenue for critical community services:
Batavia Local Schools (BLSD)
$51.2MFire & EMS (CJFED)
$9.1MGreat Oaks JVS
$4.4MDevelopmental Disabilities
$3.8MSenior Services
$1.6MPublic Library
$1.1MChildren Services
$989KMental Health
$938KParks
$851KTotal Revenue Diverted Over 15 Years
$74.1M
That's $74 million taken from services that protect families, educate children, and strengthen our community.
“Even local officials estimate that abatements could divert more than $50 million from our schools and another $10 million from fire and safety.”
— Local leadership discussion, January 2025
Sources:
Analysis of Clermont County Auditor open data (2025), consistent with Batavia Local Schools' estimates and the Bulldog Bulletin (Jan. 27, 2025).
Don't take our word for it. The Clermont County Auditor maintains interactive public data on all tax abatements. Compare Batavia to our neighbors—this is not business as usual in Clermont County.
See the county's official interactive dataBatavia's Abatement Crisis in Context
Everyone has a vision of Batavia's downtown becoming vibrant like old Milford and Loveland. But these communities are different and didn't get where they are by abatements alone. The data shows Batavia has already gone further with abatements—without the tax base to support it.
Abatements Located Within School Districts
Total appraised value of property that has been abated by year within a school district
Source: Clermont County Auditor's Office - Interactive Public Data Dashboard
Understanding the Data
The Full Picture
"We should be like Loveland and Milford!" It's a common refrain. But here's what the data actually shows: Batavia has already abated more than $40 million in property value—more than double Milford's $17–18 million, and nearly 15 times Loveland's few million.
The critical difference? Those districts have larger tax bases and robust commercial development that cushion the blow. Batavia's smaller school district depends on every tax dollar—making each abatement far more painful for our schools and services.
Loveland and Milford didn't become thriving communities because of abatements. They built their success on excellent schools, strategic planning, smart infrastructure, and balanced growth. Abatements were one tool in a comprehensive toolkit—targeted at job-creating projects that fit a larger vision.
The Bottom Line:
Batavia is using abatements more aggressively than either of those communities, but without the financial foundation to support it. That makes this approach riskier for our schools and taxpayers—and ultimately, for Batavia's future.
This isn't about opposing growth. It's about making data-driven, sustainable decisions that protect what matters most: our schools, our safety, and our community's long-term prosperity.
The Problem
The Batavia Village Council approved tax abatements for over 1,200 new homes and apartments—100% tax breaks for 15 years. That means developers pay almost no property taxes while using our schools, fire department, and roads.
If everything is built out and fully abated as indicated, this will cost the Batavia Local School District (BLSD) an estimated $40 million over 15 years. Luxury apartments will divert another estimated $10 million. The Clermont Joint Fire & EMS District (CJFED) will lose an estimated $9-10 million. That's teachers we can't hire, AP classes cut, fire trucks we can't buy, and the difference between excellence and mediocrity.
The Solution
I will vote to end all new large-scale residential tax abatements immediately and support the use of responsible abatements only—targeted incentives that create jobs and strengthen our community without draining our schools.
Developers will still build here—a 117-acre, 263-home development on SR-222 is moving forward, proving we don't need giveaways to attract growth.
Ready to Take Action?
Join our campaign to put Batavia families and schools first. Your support makes a difference.