Ohio plans ballot measure on infrastructure spending

Two members of the Ohio House of Representatives—one Democrat and one Republican—have announced their intention to introduce a bipartisan resolution reauthorizing constitutional borrowing authority for the Ohio Public Works Commission’s State Capital Improvement Program (SCIP).

The soon-to-be introduced legislation is being sponsored by Reps. Scott Oelslager, a Republican from North Canton, Ohio, and Dan P. Troy, a Democrat from Willowick, Ohio.

Backers say the legislation will permit the state to issue $250 million per year for 10 years in general obligation bonds to fund public infrastructure capital improvements and will permit the proposal to be placed on a statewide ballot on May 6, 2025.

SCIP is configured to provide grants and loans to local governments for critical infrastructure such as improvements to roads and bridges, water supply systems, wastewater treatment, stormwater collection and solid waste disposal, according to a news release from the Ohio Public Works Commission (OWPC).

“I thank Reps. Oelslager and Troy for taking the initiative to continue this historically successful program which has funded more than 19,000 projects since its creation in 1987, benefitting the health, safety and economic welfare of communities in all 88 counties," OWPC Director Linda Bailiff says.