BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio. — For the first time in 15 years, Butler County voters are preparing to choose a new member of the Board of Commissioners.
Republican Michael Ryan and Democrat Mike Miller are competing for the seat being vacated by Commissioner Cindy Carpenter, who lost the Republican primary to Ryan in May.
WATCH: Meet the candidates running for Butler County commissioner.
The race comes as Butler County faces several consequential questions: Property values are rising, the county holds tens of millions of dollars in reserves, development is accelerating, and data centers have become one of the county's most contentious growth issues. The county also continues to face debate over its contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In interviews with WCPO, Ryan and Miller laid out markedly different visions for what county government should prioritize.
Ryan is running on development and expansion.
The former Hamilton City Council member and vice mayor points to his experience in city government and argues that Butler County can keep taxes affordable by growing its economy, attracting jobs and expanding its tax base.
Miller is running on change and a resident-first approach.
A political newcomer and community volunteer, Miller says county government has become too focused on business and controversy and that residents should come before development. He describes his campaign as that of a citizen rather than a career politician.
Those competing philosophies show up across nearly every major issue in the race.
Property taxes: Give money back or grow the tax base?
Butler County property owners are facing higher assessed values following the county's 2026 reappraisal. Residential and agricultural property values increased by a median 19% countywide, while commercial and industrial values rose by a median 20%, according to information released by the Butler County Auditor's Office. The new values apply to the 2026 tax year and will affect bills paid in 2027.
That puts the county's finances near the center of the commissioner's race.
The county is projecting roughly $74 million in unencumbered cash at the end of next year, according to the county's 2027 budget figures provided for the race.
Miller argues that money should not simply sit in county accounts if it is not needed.
"If we're not gonna use those taxpayer dollars to invest in the community, then yes, we should roll it back," Miller said.
Miller supports using some of the county's reserves to reduce the county's general-fund millage, but he also acknowledged that reserves alone won't fix the problem, saying many of the issues lie in Columbus.
"The general fund only gets 1-mill of your property tax bill. Most of that goes to schools, public services. Those are issues that are going to have to be held to account in Columbus."
He also says property-tax rollbacks are not equally valuable to everyone. Someone who owns a more expensive home would receive a larger dollar reduction than someone who does not own a home or owns a lower-value home.
Miller's broader argument is that county government should balance a tax rollback with greater investment in areas such as infrastructure, homelessness, mental health and addiction recovery.
Ryan also says taxpayers should ultimately benefit from responsible county finances adn supports a millage rollback, but sees economic growth as a long-term solution.
"What I can do as a county commissioner is keep my costs low, keep my sales tax as low as I can," said Ryan, "but bring in more jobs and economic development because when you do that, it expands the tax base and that lowers the taxes."
Ryan points to his time on Hamilton City Council as evidence of that approach. His campaign claims that during his tenure, Hamilton added 1,400 jobs and attracted more than $700 million in capital investment.
For Ryan, the argument is essentially that the county can make itself more affordable by becoming more economically successful.
For Miller, the question is whether county government is holding onto too much taxpayer money instead of returning some of it or investing it in residents.
Data centers: How much growth is enough?
That difference becomes even more pronounced when the conversation turns to development.
Butler County has become a major target for data center development, prompting the county to enact a moratorium on new data centers while officials study the potential impact.
Miller has taken a hard line against development that he believes could burden existing communities.
“I've come out firmly against data centers that are going to stretch utilities, harm the environment, be a nuisance by residents," said Miller.
His broader economic-development position is not that Butler County should stop growing. Instead, Miller says growth should be evaluated based on what it does for the people who already live in the county.
His campaign platform calls for business development that does not strain existing utilities, damage the environment or become a nuisance to residents.
Ryan supports the county's current data center moratorium, but his position is less about stopping development and more about determining where and how development makes sense.
"I'm all about the right development for the right area of the county," said Ryan. "We gotta have local buy-in, and we need to make the township trustees and city councils part of these decisions."
Ryan has argued that the county should continue pursuing economic development while making sure communities have a say in what gets built.
He also sees opportunities beyond data centers. Ryan pointed to Butler County's location between Dayton and Cincinnati's airports and said he is particularly interested in expanding the county's aviation industry.
ICE contracts: What role should county government play?
The candidates' differences extend beyond taxes and development.
Butler County's contracts with ICE have also become a major political flashpoint.
Miller opposes the county's ICE contracts, arguing they do not make Butler County safer and that many of the people detained through the system are not Butler County residents and are accused or convicted of nonviolent crimes.
“Most of these detainees are nonviolent and not from Butler County so it's not really making Butler County safer," said Miller.
He argues that county resources should instead be focused on services and issues directly affecting Butler County residents.
Ryan takes the opposite position.
Drawing from his experience on Hamilton City Council, he said he has seen ICE work alongside local law enforcement and views the agency as a resource for local police.
"It's all under the umbrella of law enforcement, safety and protection," Ryan said.
Two candidates, two ideas about what county government should be
Ultimately, the race comes down to more than three individual policy disagreements.
Miller says Butler County government needs a change.
He has repeatedly pointed to what he describes as years of controversy surrounding county government and says he entered the race because he was frustrated with what he was seeing as a resident.
Ryan's pitch is almost the mirror image.
He is running on his experience in Hamilton and argues that the approach he used there, encouraging business investment, creating jobs, keeping budgets under control and expanding the tax base, can be applied across Butler County.
For the first time since 2012, Butler County voters will decide which philosophy gets a seat on the commission.
