The massive new development at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon is creating opportunities for Southern Ohio workers. But Scioto County commissioners say there’s a downside for local government: They’re losing experienced employees to employers that can offer more money.
Commissioners accepted two resignations Thursday from county employees leaving for jobs connected to the Piketon site.
Deputy Emergency Management Agency Director Bill Lynn has accepted a position with the U.S. Department of Energy.
Lori Morton, who served as director of the Scioto County Land Bank and handled financial responsibilities for multiple county offices, is also leaving for an opportunity associated with the project.
Commissioners praised both employees but warned that their departures could be just the beginning.
County Can’t Match the Pay
Commissioner Scottie Powell said the county is beginning to experience the same hiring challenges private employers have faced as major projects bring new investment to the region.
“The county is going to be going through something very similar to what the private sector is going to go through with all the investment in the region,” Powell said.
He said the growing number of employment opportunities in Piketon and elsewhere will make it increasingly difficult for the county to retain experienced workers.
Commissioner Merit Smith agreed, saying county employment doesn’t offer the same advantages it once did.
“Thinking about this, I go back to 30 years ago when I first came to work for the county,” Smith said.
At the time, he recalled, government jobs offered attractive retirement benefits, health insurance and predictable weekday schedules.
But some of those advantages have faded.
“We have a good retirement system, but our healthcare is about on par with everybody else,” Smith said.
And when it comes to salaries, the county simply can’t compete with some of the employers moving into the region.
“We can’t afford to pay what those places are paying salary-wise,” Smith said.
Two Experienced Employees Depart
Powell congratulated Lynn on his new position with the Department of Energy.
“He has served this county well,” Powell said, calling the move a great opportunity.
Lynn’s departure leaves the county needing to replace an experienced deputy director in its emergency management operation.
Morton’s departure creates another challenge.
In addition to serving as Land Bank director, she handled financial responsibilities for other county offices.
Powell credited her with helping strengthen the Land Bank’s operations during a period when its procedures were receiving scrutiny.
She stepped into the position when there were questions surrounding the Land Bank and helped establish bidding processes, he said.
“Once again, she has a good opportunity for a different job,” Powell said.
He indicated Morton would be working for a different company associated with the Piketon site, rather than directly for the Department of Energy.
More Departures Could Be Coming
Smith said the county needs to prepare for more employees to leave as the regional job market becomes increasingly competitive.
“We’re going to start losing some good people,” he said.
The challenge will be finding qualified replacements when other employers can offer substantially higher salaries.
“Hopefully we can find other good people because we’re competing with people who have a lot more money than we do,” Smith said.
Commissioners unanimously accepted both resignations.
The departures highlight an unexpected challenge of regional economic growth.
New jobs and investment may benefit Southern Ohio, but local governments still have to compete for workers, and taxpayers depend on those workers to keep essential public services running.
What’s Happening at Piketon?
The former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site is being transformed into a massive energy and technology campus known as the PORTS project.
The development is planned for land associated with the U.S. Department of Energy site, where cleanup and redevelopment efforts have been underway for years.
The plans call for a huge artificial intelligence and data center complex, along with new power generation and electrical infrastructure to support it.
The proposed campus is designed to eventually accommodate up to 10 gigawatts of data center capacity, beginning with an 800-megawatt first phase.
Major companies associated with the development include SB Energy, a subsidiary of Japan’s SoftBank Group, OpenAI and NVIDIA.
The project also includes plans for a 9.2-gigawatt natural gas power plant backed by a $33.3 billion investment announced through a U.S.–Japan trade agreement.
Another $4.2 billion is planned for electrical transmission improvements involving SB Energy and AEP Ohio.
Those are enormous investments for a region that has spent decades dealing with the loss of major industrial employers.
While the full development will take years and not every proposed component is complete, the work is already creating competition for skilled employees.
And that competition isn’t limited to construction workers.