Chris for Dublin

Podcast Appearances

On October 1, 2020 Chris appeared on the Troy Talks podcast with Troy Balderson and discussed important issues facing Dublin, including the need to have tough conversations around social injustices while continuing to support our vital police departments.

Podcast link here

In November of 2021, Chris appeared on Dublin City Schools' School Zone podcast. Chris and Superintendent Dr. John Marschhausen discuss the history of Dublin, the future of Dublin and the symbiotic relationship between Dublin City Schools and the City of Dublin.

Podcast link here

Current Issues

What do you see as the top priority in Dublin, and what will you do about it?

Dublin’s top priority continues to be economic development. The top-notch services and high-quality events that Dublin residents enjoy are to a large extent made possible by the financial strength of our corporate community. As our infrastructure ages, and as our population rises, the demands on the city’s revenue stream will grow.

It’s imperative that we continue to attract and maintain high-quality businesses to help fund the Irish Festival, the Fourth of July Celebration, and the construction and maintenance of our 60+ parks and more than 100 miles of multi-use pathways. Economic development also helps fund essential services such as roadway maintenance, trash and yard waste removal, curbside chipper service, water and sewer infrastructure maintenance and our excellent police force.

As a Dublin City Council member, I’ll continue to develop relationships with the corporate community and engage in the dialogue for the attraction, expansion and retention of jobs to maintain the high standards Dublin residents have come to expect.

How will you address growing development in the U.S. Route 33 corridor, including areas outside Dublin’s jurisdiction? What can be done to alleviate traffic and residential concerns while still balancing economic growth?

It’s a complex question but as a Dublin City Council member and a Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) Vice Chair, I continually work with each of our adjacent jurisdictions to coordinate growth and land use in ways that benefit all parties. Part of the complexity of this coordination is understanding that each jurisdiction adjacent to the Route 33 Corridor expects to generate revenue from development. But since each jurisdiction generates revenue in a different way, the kind of development each prefers is as different as the funding models themselves.

Dublin is primarily funded by a 2% income tax (61% of revenue) on workers -- thus it desires offices full of high wage earners. Jerome Township is funded by property tax (70%) and miscellaneous taxes (30%) and therefore wants the high property value from multifamily housing. Union County is funded through property tax (25%), sales tax (25%) and miscellaneous taxes (50%) and consequently wants high retail sales volume and high property values.

Each entity, with their available funds, pursues development that will allow them to continue to meet the needs and wishes of their residents. Mutual respect and understanding are the path to success for all parties along the corridor.

Initiative Leadership

What are the initiatives you are most proud of leading?

Community Growth

In 2019, I began meeting with City of Columbus Mayor Andy Ginther as we discussed the future of our water and sewer agreement. These conversations have ultimately led to me introducing ordinances 25.23, 26.23, and 27.23 that will open up 5,575 acres of developable land for the future growth on our Western border for the future growth of our community. This land is largely in the Plain City and Hilliard School Districts and will work diligently with those communities to ensure it is an asset for all parties involved.

Passenger Rail Planning

Keeping the City of Dublin at the forefront of the conversation as Amtrak looks to expand passenger rail in Ohio. The City purchased land along the rail line that is being considered for passenger rail and through my Vice Chair role at the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) I have met with the Ohio Real Commission, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), Amtrak leadership in Chicago and many other key decision-makers to ensure we have a seat at the table as this conversation progresses.

Dublin Fiber to the Home Project

I have been a staunch defender of municipal fiber and have testified at the Ohio Statehouse on the City's behalf. Resolution 55.23 solidified those efforts with the City of Dublin partnering with Altafiber to utilize Dublin's existing DubLink fiber network to deliver 10 Gig upload and download speed to every residence in the City of Dublin whether you are in a single family home or a multi-tenant building. The build out of this system will take three years.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes me the best candidate for City Council?

I am a wife, mom, small business owner, and lifelong resident of Dublin. I attended the Dublin school system K-12, and my two children are following in my footsteps. I love my community and have a passion to continue serving my fellow residents.

The invaluable experience of previously serving 8 years on the Dublin Planning and Zoning Commission followed by 8 years on City Council has made me particularly familiar with how our municipal government works, and has allowed me to see first-hand the impact that development decisions have on our lives.

Dublin’s major source of revenue is directly related to how we use our land. It is vital that we use it to generate the funds we need to serve our residents at the high level of excellence they expect. Misusing our land puts our community funding out of balance, resulting in reduced services or higher taxes. That’s a poor choice, and one I will work hard to ensure our residents don’t have to make.

A vote for Chris Amorose Groomes for Dublin City Council will be a vote for servant leadership, a transparent process that welcomes public debate and a thorough public vetting of community investments, and a commitment to the highest level of quality in our development.

What’s the biggest issue Dublin will face over the next several years?

My family and I treasure the small-town feel and sense of community in Dublin. It’s only been about thirty-five remarkable years since Dublin grew from a Village to a City, but we’ve been a community of friends and neighbors since the early 1800’s.

As a city, our biggest challenge is managing growth in a fair, measured, deliberate way while retaining our precious sense of community. While a “city” is just a calculation of area and population, our “community” is our soul, an interwoven fabric of connected people.

As our population grows, so do our expenses. Our new citizens need new infrastructure (roads, water/sewer, utilities etc.), new services (schools, fire and EMS), and new social services (ADAMH, MRDD, children’s services, parks, libraries. etc.). Our challenge will be to keep Dublin’s government and people working closely together, funding our expenses fairly and uniformly, and cherishing our sense of community above all else.

Dublin uses many forms of economic incentives to attract and retain businesses – here’s what I think about this practice:

We live in a highly competitive marketplace, where businesses have many options to choose from when they consider whether to relocate or expand. I hope they’ll always choose Dublin because of our people, our business-friendly environment, and the quality of life we offer.

As a community, we invest to attract and retain business in many ways, including the much needed improvements at the 33/Post Road interchange; installing the most advanced fiber optics capabilities in the region including our newly approved fiber to the home project; and extending Tuller Road to provide new sites for businesses to grow and residents to have transportation options.

Like other communities in the region, Dublin also uses economic development agreements and direct incentives to entice business. But these tools must be used carefully, since they may divert taxes from our City, our Townships, and most importantly, our schools.

I would like to see Dublin rely a little less on these agreements, and a little more on the investments that directly improve the quality of life of our corporate and residential citizens. Ultimately, that’s the best business incentive there is.