Ten-Year Master Plan Informational Brochure

Where have we been?

In early 2007, the township decided to embark on a master planning process that will “establish priorities for future problem solving and guidance for accomplishing future projects.”

What has happened so far?

During May 2007, the township held a public kick-off meeting and mailed a survey to all its residents and businesses through the newsletter to assist in identifying what it is that resident’s value so much about living in Symmes Township and what issues need to be addressed.  The township has also created a Symmes Township Master Plan Steering Committee comprised of residents to serve as a sounding board for the planning process.

What did you hear?

While there were a range of thoughts, comments, and issues, there were several items that were consistently identified by township residents and businesses that are valued characteristics and issues.

What is happening next?

We still feel like that residents and business have a lot to offer to this community planning process so we are hosting meetings on August 15 and August 22 at the Symmes Township Safety Service Center. The purpose of these meetings is to provide individual neighborhoods and groups an opportunity to help plan for the future of Symmes Township. Additionally, we have put together this informational packet to help illustrate some of the planning and improvements that are underway as well as some of the realities of living in and planning for Symmes Township.

Township Taxes

As many residents mentioned, part of the attractiveness of living in Symmes Township are the low property taxes and the lack of income tax. 

• In Ohio, townships cannot institute income taxes. However, school districts can levy income taxes and if you work in a city such as Cincinnati, you may be subject to income taxes where you work.
• The chart below shows the 2000 population and township tax millage (2006) for each of the townships in Hamilton County. It illustrates that the township tax in Symmes is one of the lowest in the county. The range in township tax levels are attributed to a number of things  ranging from miles of local roads the township maintains to the amount of parks.  They also may vary based on the commercial base of a particular township so, for example, Green Township may have a higher population than Symmes, but they also have large areas of commercial development to help offset some of the tax burden.

Township Taxes Continued

Another key aspect of taxes that must be taken into consideration is that a large portion of your tax bill is dedicated to school districts. Depending on where you live in Symmes Township, you may be located in one of three school districts which have its own tax millage. The chart and table below shows that those residents who live in the Loveland School District pay significantly more taxes than those in the Indiana Hill School District.

• Total millage is the total number of mills based on approved levies.
• The effective tax rate is the tax rate that you see on your tax bill and which takes into account various tax rollbacks and reductions.

Transportation – Traffic, Roads, and Sidewalks

While everyone enjoys the fact that living in Symmes Township gives residents and businesses easy and convenient access to highways, shopping, schools, and parks, most residents would also agree that one of the biggest issues facing the township is transportation. More specifically traffic congestion and the lack of connectivity in the sidewalk system. The following are some highlights of what the township/county/region is doing to address these issues as well as some of the difficulties related to transportation.

• First and foremost, there are numerous agencies involved in the Symmes Township transportation network.
• The federal government maintains authority over our interstate system, including Interstate 71. The Ohio Department of Development (ODOT) maintains and manages the system for the federal government.
• ODOT maintains authority over the state highway systems, typically identified by numbered highway signs. In Symmes Township, these include roads such as Montgomery Road (SR 22) and Glendale-Milford Road (SR 126).
• Hamilton County is responsible for county roads which are the major arterial and connector roads that are not state highways. These include roads such as Loveland-Madeira, Lebanon, Kemper, Fields Ertel, etc. 
• Symmes Township is responsible for township roads which are typically the residential roads that are part of subdivisions or other low-capacity roads.
• In addition to these agencies, the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) also plays an important role in regional transportation planning although they, as an agency, are not responsible for maintaining roads.

It is important to have an understanding of the agencies that play a part in transportation planning to begin to understand why certain desired roadway improvements take longer than others. For example, Hamilton County is responsible for all of the county roads across the entire county and within the county’s plans are priorities for improvements which may mean that in any given year, improvements may not be made in Symmes Township because the priorities lie elsewhere in the county.

Current Planning Efforts

Even with all of the agencies involved in the transportation network, there are still plenty of planning efforts going on that affect Symmes Township including:

Symmes Township

• The township maintains a road maintenance plan to ensure that all township roads are maintained and repaved as needed.
• The township is also actively planning for sidewalk connections with a focus on those sidewalk connections that will provide the most access to commercial areas, parks, and schools. The current plan includes recommendations for the following sidewalks:
  • Kemper Road – Kemper Woods to Montgomery Road;
  • Kemper Road – Montgomery Road to Pemmican Run;
  • Montgomery/Blong Road – Montgomery/Blong Road to future Blong Road turn-around;
  • Montgomery Road – Calumet Way to Seven Gables Road;
  • Lebanon Road – Carrousel Court to Somerset Drive
  • Lebanon Road – Somerset Drive to Symmes Township Park Overflow Parking
  • Union Cemetery Road – Woodwind Drive to Lebanon Road
  • Future Symmes Township Park – Gateway Drive to Humphry Road
• Once these connections are completed, the township will identify additional connections. This master plan can be used to identify some key future connections of sidewalks.
• Unlike many other communities, Symmes Township maintains all sidewalks within the township rather than the property owner. 

Hamilton County

• The county is currently working on improvement along Kemper Road to widen the travel lanes and provide curb and gutter or improving the shoulders.
• There are plans to improve the intersection of Loveland-Madeira Road and Glendale-Milford Road through the addition of left-turn lanes on all approaches.
• The county and township are participating in a study of the Fields Ertel Corridor, west of the interstate and Fields Ertel commercial areas.
• Warren County is currently heading up an interchange study of the Fields Ertel/Interstate 71 interchange. This study could result in any number of solutions to the traffic congestion in the area but any major changes to the interstate itself are well over 10 to 20 years away. Smaller solutions that require changes to state, county, or local roads may implemented in a shorter timeframe.
• The county is planning to make improvements to Union-Cemetery Road from Governors Pointe to the Symmes Township Administration offices that could include several improvements from improved turning radii to a traffic signal at Union-Cemetery Road and Montgomery Road.