After months of complaints and stalled sales, Scioto County leaders say the land bank is getting a full reset—and this time, they want everything above board.
Commissioner Scottie Powell says the Scioto County Land Reutilization Corporation is changing how it handles property sales after concerns about how bids were being collected and tracked.
“We have not sold any property since we’ve been on the board,” Powell said. “None of us felt comfortable with how the process was being handled.”
What’s Changing
The land bank—now overseen by a board that includes Powell, Commissioner Merit Smith, Treasurer Joey Sandlin, Portsmouth City Manager Sam Sutherland, and Porter Township Trustee Dennis DeCamp—is working to rebuild the process from the ground up.
That means:
- Clearer public notices
- A formal bidding process
- Better tracking of bids
- Standardized procedures
In the past, Powell said, the system was far less structured.
“People would just write something on a piece of paper and put it in an envelope,” he said.
Now, officials say that’s not good enough.
Looking at Other Counties for Help
To fix the issues, board members have been studying how other counties do it right.
Powell said some have even traveled to nearby areas to look at proven systems, and Treasurer Joey Sandlin confirmed they are working with Jim Rokakis, widely considered one of the pioneers of land banks in Ohio.
“I appreciate Treasurer Sandlin’s leadership,” Powell said. “We’re looking for best practices and putting those into place.”
Why Nothing Has Been Sold
The changes explain why the land bank has essentially hit pause.
Commissioner Merit Smith said the slowdown has been frustrating for some residents—but intentional.
“We’ve had criticism—people asking why land isn’t getting sold,” Smith said. “That’s the reason. We’re trying to make sure everything is done right and transparent.”
He added that some buyers have been waiting months and are getting impatient, but the board doesn’t want to move forward until they’re confident in the process.
Fallout From the Davis Case
The land bank issues also come in the wake of the corruption case involving former Commissioner Bryan Davis, who previously served on the board.
Last year, operations were disrupted after Davis’ indictment, including questions about who had authority to sign checks and handle financial matters.
At the time, Powell called an emergency meeting to address those concerns.
Now, with new leadership in place, officials say they’re taking the opportunity to rebuild the system the right way.
The Bottom Line
The land bank isn’t selling property right now—and that’s by design.
Officials say they’re hitting pause to fix a process they didn’t trust, with the goal of making sure future sales are fair, transparent, and properly documented.
Or as Powell put it:
No more scraps of paper. No more guesswork.
Just a system the public can actually trust.
