On Tuesday Could 6, State Difficulty 2 will seem on the first election poll. This measure proposes a ten-year renewal of the State Capital Enchancment Program (SCIP), a extremely efficient and extensively supported state bond program that gives important infrastructure funding to native governments via the Ohio Public Works Fee.
Beneath SCIP, counties, cities, villages, townships, and different native entities can apply for grants and low-interest loans to assist fund infrastructure tasks together with roads and bridges, wastewater remedy methods, water provide methods, stable waste disposal services, stormwater infrastructure, and different vital public works.
In 1987, SCIP was licensed through a state-wide poll challenge with a 71% affirmative vote. This system has since been renewed by extensive margins in 1995, 2005, and 2014. At that final renewal, I served as the Lake County chair of the marketing campaign in help of its passage. This Could marks this system’s fourth reauthorization vote. With out voter approval, SCIP is about to run out on July 1, 2025, halting future funding for native infrastructure tasks throughout the state.
Difficulty 2 was dropped at the poll via a bipartisan effort within the Ohio Normal Meeting. I teamed up with Republican State Consultant Scott Oelslager (R-North Canton) in introducing Home Joint Decision 8, which handed overwhelmingly in each the Home (87-4) and Senate (30-1). The profitable passage of HJR 8 locations the proposed constitutional modification to resume SCIP for one more decade earlier than voters at this Could’s election.
In my first tenure on the Statehouse, I used to be one of many co-sponsors of the unique laws authorizing SCIP in 1987. That is too vital and useful of a program to permit it to overlook its reauthorization date. That is clearly top-of-the-line concepts the State of Ohio has ever had, and we have to proceed its constructive advantages.
Over practically 4 many years, SCIP has enabled the completion of over 19,000 infrastructure tasks in all 88 Ohio counties, distributing practically $7 billion to native governments. In the latest 10-year cycle alone, $2.3 billion was awarded to 1,084 native governments for 4,490 tasks. Moreover, funding matches from different sources usually double and even triple the worth of SCIP investments, additional rising their constructive influence on Ohio’s communities.
If accredited, Difficulty 2 would authorize the issuance of $2.5 billion generally obligation bonds for SCIP tasks over the following decade —a rise from the earlier $2 billion to account for the rising prices of labor and supplies. This renewal is projected to create roughly 35,000 new building jobs throughout Ohio. Most significantly, this system doesn’t require any tax improve, as bond repayments have been and can proceed to be constructed from present state revenues. One other distinctive side of the SCIP program is that the tasks assisted by these state bond {dollars} are submitted, scored and chosen by a panel of native county, municipal and township officers and never Columbus.
I’ve lately attended the council conferences of the entire cities and villages inside my Ohio Home District, and a Lake County Board of Commissioners assembly; at these classes, I defined this system and furnished these native officers an inventory of tasks and greenback quantities acquired (practically $100 million in whole) by their respective jurisdictions over the 38-year historical past of the SCIP program.
SCIP has a confirmed monitor document of native influence and accountability. In its previous iterations, this state-local partnership has had robust bipartisan help within the legislature and widespread help amongst Ohio voters. Its renewal ensures that communities throughout Ohio can proceed to entry dependable funding for infrastructure tasks that enhance high quality of life, shield public well being, and promote long-term financial growth.
Please take the time to vote on or earlier than Could 6, and please solid a positive vote for State Difficulty 2. It has labored extraordinarily nicely over nearly 4 many years, and it’s a great and confirmed option to help yours and different Ohio communities handle vital infrastructure points with out rising taxes.
The Information-Herald welcomes opinion column submissions so all sides of a difficulty could also be aired. Daniel Troy represents District 23 within the Ohio Home of Representatives. He’s a Democrat from Willowick.
