Weekly Roundup | Flooding and flying

Welcome to the Weekly Roundup, where we bring you the top stories from today’s Dayton Daily News and major stories from the past week you may have missed.

This week, that includes a look at why the region’s flood protection system needs $140 million and how you could be forced to pay for it; and a close look at the health of the Dayton International Airport. Plus, the latest in state and federal politics.

Do you have a news tip or an issue you think our reporters should look into? Contact me at Josh.Sweigart@coxinc.com, or you can use our anonymous tipline.

***

Who should pay for flood protection?

Credit: Nick Graham

The Miami Conservancy District was created more than a century ago in response to the Great Flood of 1913, the largest natural disaster in Dayton’s history. Today, it’s facing expensive financial challenges that could be passed along to your tax bill.

• Costly needs: The conservancy district has identified more than $30 million in short-term projects and $140 million in long-term needs to address maintenance and increased stress on the flood control system caused by an aging infrastructure, climate change and other factors. Go here for a story from Sydney Dawes on why the system is facing expensive challenges.

• Some background: The flood protection system is currently paid by the roughly 39,000 property owners in the floodplain of the 1913 flood. The MCD last year proposed updating the values used to assess those properties, but the resulting massive increased assessments (tens of thousands of dollars for some properties) led to a public backlash.

• New approach: The conservancy district agreed to pause the reappraisal and study other ways to fund the system. Options could include broadening the charge to everyone in the nine-county watershed, or charging based on stormwater runoff.

• Assessment: These charges are an assessment, not a tax. So the MCD could put it on your property tax bill with no public vote required. Go here for Sydney’s story on what’s being looked at and how it could impact your tax bill.

• Flood protection: Ever wonder how the flood protection system works? Sydney also did this story with an illustration of how things like dry dams work.

Assessing DAI

Dayton International Airport, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. MARSHALL GORBY\STAFF

I remember when people from Cincinnati and Columbus would drive to Dayton to fly out of Dayton International Airport because we had the cheapest flights. Today, that’s often not the case (though I usually still use DAI because it’s so convenient). Reporter Cornelius Frolik looked into how our airport is faring these days in this story.

• Losing altitude: In the span of a decade, the Dayton International Airport went from being the 80th largest commercial airport in the nation to the 126th largest, according to a Dayton Daily News analysis of data from the Federal Aviation Administration.

• Bumpy ride: PSA Airlines last month announced it will be relocating its corporate headquarters from Dayton to Charlotte, North Carolina, which could impact about 350 jobs. Air Wisconsin announced job reductions impacting more than 200 workers.

• Taking off: Despite these headwinds, passenger boardings at DAI increased in 2024 for the fourth consecutive year, and airport officials say there’s strong demand for local air service.

• Quote: “One of Dayton’s biggest advantages is our ease of access and business amenities,” said Chris Kershner, president and CEO of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. “Dayton International Airport is a business travelers airport.”