Focus on Shelby County

What the people of Shelby County think about where they live

  For two years now, the DP&L Poll has listened to the residents of West Central Ohio. It has deepened our understanding of our customers’ perspectives and provided a public service in the form of information about our communities.

  As part of this effort, DP&L conducted a community profile study of Shelby County in February of 1994. Our purpose was to broaden our understanding of the county’s residents — their concerns about the present and the future. The study included a telephone survey of county residents and in-depth executive interviews with community, business and government leaders.

  We hope this expanded knowledge of Shelby County will enable DP&L to provide better service to both our customers and our local communities.

  With that in mind, we are releasing the results of this study to groups and individuals in Shelby County. We hope you will find it as fascinating and valuable as we have.

The Spirit of Shelby County

The Caring People of Shelby County

  Decades of research studies have shown that, generally, people are more alike than they are different. In some ways, the people of Shelby County do represent a cross-section of the country. They care about the education of their children and the prospects for employment for those children. They care about access to services they need and how they will pay for them. They care about taxes going up and about services being cut.

  They want their communities to grow economically, and they want the land they love to remain unchanged. They want their children’s lives to be better than their own, and they resist change that might eliminate the things that they love about their homes.

  They care about family values and the gap between rich and poor, and what it will mean in the long run. They care about young people leaving when they grow up. And they are concerned by external forces that affect their lives beyond their control.

  But, despite these similarities to the rest of the nation, Shelby County is unique. Residents are remarkable in their devotion to the local community and in their respect for each other and the value of their labors. Early in the course of interviews with Shelby County community leaders, it became apparent that the people of Shelby County display special characteristics that make the county exceptional.