At their 2025 State of the County event today, the Delaware County Commissioners focused their presentations on spotlighting the power of collaboration and how these partnerships are helping the county navigate the challenges of today.
“It takes a collaborative approach to position Delaware County as a leader,” said Commissioner Barb Lewis, president of this year’s Board of Commissioners. “And great working relationships among the county’s many stakeholders have been key in achieving our successes. So, too, will they be key in addressing challenges and providing necessary support for our growing community.”
The annual event, now in its eighth year, was held at the Delaware County Fairgrounds’ Agricultural Center and attracted an audience of more than 250 local leaders and community representatives.
One critical initiative that has required collaboration is the new shared services building that will be constructed at the county’s growing Byxbe Campus on Delaware’s east side. Ground will be broken this fall on the facility, which will be located northeast of the Sheriff’s Administrative Building at the intersection of State Route 521 and Byxbe Parkway.
“We anticipate this approximately 70,000-square-foot building will be completed in Fall 2027,” said Commissioner Gary Merrell, “and, when it is, it will house the Board of Developmental Disabilities, the Delaware-Morrow Mental Health & Recovery Services Board, our Job & Family Services Department, and the Delaware County Veterans Services Office.”
Merrell added that the estimated cost of the project is $29.9 million and “we do not anticipate incurring any debt to build this new facility.”
Commissioner Jeff Benton noted that long-planned projects are continuing without interruption thanks to the county’s strategic planning: “We have set aside funds when income streams are stable, so that when less predictable times arrive, we are prepared to continue on with the projects that are important to our stakeholders.”
Other collaborative endeavors that were spotlighted included: the renovation of a historic building at 109 N. Sandusky St. that is serving as a new home for the county’s Public Defender’s Office; a shared-services contract for many of the county’s printer and copier machines that will yield nearly $1 million in cost savings; and continued investments in economic development, including more than $30 million in Sawmill Parkway, $6 million in the new I-71 and Routes 36/37 interchange, and $7 million for a sewer pump station serving the Berlin Business Park.
To see the Commissioners’ presentations, along with videos highlighting county events, go to: https://co.delaware.oh.us/2025-state-of-the-county/.