Heath Resident Concerns

Mayor Johns and M/I Homes want to build 500+ homes on 212 acres of farmland annexed from Union Township — miles away from downtown Heath — without having answered the basic questions Heath residents deserve to have answered first.

Beyond the serious concern over pushing 840–1,000 new unfunded students onto a neighboring school district and forcing its taxpayers to pay the bill, this development raises important questions about the future of Heath as well:

Who will pay to extend city utilities into this annexation? How will it affect traffic, emergency services, and city budgets? What happens when thousands of new residents vote in Heath but send their children to Granville schools? And who exactly is going to buy $700k homes on ⅙-acre lots?

A draft development agreement — obtained via open records request — also shows the city intends to repay M/I Homes up to $6 million for road improvements at 7% annual interest through a 30-year Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district. That's a significant, multi-decade commitment that will divert tax revenue away from county services — and it has never been discussed in a public meeting. Learn more about the TIF →

Council was right to push back the vote — twice. Heath residents deserve real answers before approving a project of this scale. Several Council members have said exactly that. The next vote is scheduled for August 3, 2026, and there is still time to get this right.

If you live in Heath, your voice matters. The most important thing you can do is let your Council members know that you support their commitment to demand transparency — and that you expect any financial discussions to happen in public, not behind closed doors.