After months of scandal, court cases, uncertainty, and questions about who was steering the ship, Scioto County leaders say some long-awaited good news is finally arriving.
At Thursday’s commissioners meeting, Commissioner Scottie Powell announced two major developments:
- Interviews are underway for a new economic development director
- Google is preparing a public website and open house for its planned Franklin Furnace project
For a county that has spent the last year dealing with corruption fallout and rebuilding its economic development system, the message was clear:
Things are moving again.
County Interviewing Candidates for New Economic Development Leader
Powell said he spent the day conducting interviews with candidates for the new top economic development position through the Scioto County Development Corporation.
“We have some very qualified candidates,” Powell said. “I’m excited to see who could be leading the economic development drive.”
The hiring is a major step after the county’s previous economic development structure was thrown into chaos following the indictments of former officials and the uncertainty surrounding the Southern Ohio Port Authority.
Now, county leaders are trying a new nonprofit model and hope to soon have permanent leadership in place.
“Very soon we’ll have a captain at the helm,” Powell said.
He added that an announcement could come within the next couple of weeks.
Google Preparing Public Website and Community Open House
Powell also said Google’s proposed development in Franklin Furnace is continuing to move forward—and residents should soon get their first real look at what is planned.
According to Powell, Google is preparing a website that will include:
- Project information
- Traffic flow details
- Opportunities for public feedback
- Renderings showing what the development may look like
He also said an open house is being planned, possibly around May 14, where residents can speak directly with developers and ask questions.
That could mark the most public-facing step yet in a project that has generated major excitement—but also controversy over secrecy, NDAs, and concerns about infrastructure and environmental impact.
Why This Matters Right Now
Scioto County has spent much of the past year in defensive mode:
- Corruption cases tied to former leadership
- Questions over the future of the Port Authority
- Ongoing legal drama involving Commissioner Bryan Davis
- Residents divided over the Google project
Against that backdrop, Powell framed Thursday’s announcements as signs the county is shifting from crisis mode to opportunity mode.
“We’ve never seen opportunity like this in our region,” he said. “We have to get this right.”
Piketon Growth Could Spill Into Scioto County
Powell also pointed to major developments happening nearby in Pike County, where large-scale energy and technology projects are underway.
He said Scioto County is well positioned to benefit from that growth.
“While there’s stuff happening in Piketon, that ripple effect is going to land directly in our lap,” Powell said.
He noted that Scioto County already provides more workers than surrounding counties, and he expects that trend to continue.
The Bottom Line
After a long stretch of bad headlines, Thursday brought something different:
Progress.
A new economic development director may soon be hired. Google is preparing to show the public more of its plans. Regional growth is accelerating.
For the first time in a while, county leaders aren’t talking about damage control.
They’re talking about what comes next.