TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – Ohio voters will soon head to the polls to decide whether to renew a program that has funded thousands of local infrastructure projects across the state.
Early voting begins next week for the state’s May primary election. All Ohio voters will see Issue 2 on the ballot. If approved, it would renew the State Capital Improvement Project (SCIP).
Passing Issue 2 would allow the state to issue up to $250 million in bonds each year for the next decade. The money is used by local governments to pay for critical infrastructure projects.
The SCIP has funded projects to improve roads, bridges, waste water treatment, watter supply systems, and more.
Click here to see projects funded by the SCIP from all of Ohio’s 88 counties.
Renewing the program would not increase taxes.
Scott Coleman, the president of the County Engineers Association of Ohio, who also serves as the Logan County engineer, said the SCIP is vital to communities across the state.
“Municipalities have a lot of needs,” Coleman said. “Whether it’s a city or a village or a township, they have a shortfall in funding. (The SCIP) has been vital.”
He said projects like waste water treatment are often more expensive than what local governments can afford to pay on their own.
“Any help that those entities can get through those projects can keep your utility bill from skyrocketing to an unaffordable amount,” Coleman said.
The program was originally approved by Ohioans in 1987. It’s been reauthorized three times since.
Sarah Biehl, the policy director for the Ohio Mayors Alliance, said local government leaders rely on the SCIP to support critical infrastructure projects.
“There is no Republican way to fill a pothole. There’s no Democratic way to resurface a street. These projects, as a result, are pretty easy wins both for our mayors and for the communities that they serve,” Biehl said.
Issue 2 has no organized opposition.
The deadline to register to vote in the election is Monday April 7. Early in-person voting and absentee voting by mail begins the next day. Election Day is May 6.
Below is the language that voters will see on their ballots for Issue 2.
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