Many more residents and business owners in the city of West Carrollton and neighboring communities will be forced to pay for flood insurance if Senate Bill 1940 is approved without amendment next week.

City officials, with the encouragement of the Miami Conservancy District, are urging residents to contact Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman to voice their support of the Pryor Residual Risk Amendment to Senate Bill 1940, the Flood Insurance Reform & Modernization Act. This amendment, offered by Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR) would make essential changes to the bill that redefines areas of special flood hazard.

“Many residents and businesses in the city would suffer severe financial hardship if the Senate Bill 1940 is passed without the Pryor Amendment,” said Brad Townsend, West Carrollton city manager.

If the bill is passed as it stands now, it would expand the areas of special flood hazards to include all risk areas that are located behind levees or near dams and other flood control structures.

“This new policy would essentially force communities like West Carrollton to pay three times for flood protection,” said Janet Bly, general manager of the Miami Conservancy District. “Once for infrastructure through local taxes; a second time through government-mandated insurance purchase; and a third time through mitigation activities and land-use restrictions,” she said.

The bill would also force the adoption of special land use restrictions and thereby depriving communities of local control, reducing local revenue, and diminishing property values, according to local officials.

“The Great Miami River, protected by the Miami Conservancy District flood control system, is one of our city’s greatest assets,” Townsend said. “In fact, much of West Carrollton’s (and our neighboring communities) plans for business growth and redevelopment are centered on the river.”

Because this issue would have a drastic effect on the city of West Carrollton, residents are encouraged to become more informed and contact their elected officials.

Contact information for Senator Brown can be found at: http://www.brown.senate.gov/contact/ and for Senator Portman at http://portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact?p=contact-form.
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For more information, call Brad Townsend, West Carrollton city manager at (937) 859-5181 x9. Contact Janet Bly, general manager of the Miami Conservancy District, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it "> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .