During the public-comment portion of the meeting, Paul Gross (1150 US 42 SE) shared three anecdotes from residents moving to London Landing and nearby developments, arguing that London’s schools and smaller-lot options are acting as magnets for people choosing to relocate to the city.

Gross described individuals who moved from nearby towns for school enrollment and lifestyle reasons, including a couple who moved from West Jefferson because their children open-enrolled in London public schools and another homeowner who sold a two-acre property outside the city to buy a smaller-lot house in London Landing. "They open enroll at London public schools, and we really like the London school system," Gross said, summarizing one new resident's reasoning.

He told the council that the new residents are working professionals whose salaries will contribute income and property tax revenues to the city, noting that households who move into the city can shift tax receipts that previously accrued outside London. Gross framed the remarks as anecdotal evidence that recent housing choices are generating economic benefits for the city through tax base growth.

Provenance: Paul Gross’s remarks introducing multiple personal accounts and linking school quality to household moves are recorded in his public-comment segment.