On Tuesday May 6, State Issue 2 will appear on the primary election ballot. This measure proposes a ten-year renewal of the State Capital Improvement Program (SCIP), a highly effective and widely supported state bond program that provides essential infrastructure funding to local governments through the Ohio Public Works Commission.
Under SCIP, counties, cities, villages, townships, and other local entities can apply for grants and low-interest loans to help fund infrastructure projects including roads and bridges, wastewater treatment systems, water supply systems, solid waste disposal facilities, stormwater infrastructure, and other critical public works.
In 1987, SCIP was authorized via a state-wide ballot issue with a 71% affirmative vote. The program has since been renewed by wide margins in 1995, 2005, and 2014. At that last renewal, I served as the Lake County chair of the campaign in support of its passage. This May marks the program’s fourth reauthorization vote. Without voter approval, SCIP is set to expire on July 1, 2025, halting future funding for local infrastructure projects across the state.
Issue 2 was brought to the ballot through a bipartisan effort in the Ohio General Assembly. I teamed up with Republican State Representative Scott Oelslager (R-North Canton) in introducing House Joint Resolution 8, which passed overwhelmingly in both the House (87-4) and Senate (30-1). The successful passage of HJR 8 places the proposed constitutional amendment to renew SCIP for another decade before voters at this May’s election.
In my first tenure at the Statehouse, I was one of the co-sponsors of the original legislation authorizing SCIP in 1987. This is too important and beneficial of a program to allow it to miss its reauthorization date. This is clearly one of the best ideas the State of Ohio has ever had, and we need to continue its positive benefits.
Over nearly four decades, SCIP has enabled the completion of over 19,000 infrastructure projects in all 88 Ohio counties, distributing nearly $7 billion to local governments. In the most recent 10-year cycle alone, $2.3 billion was awarded to 1,084 local governments for 4,490 projects. Additionally, funding matches from other sources often double or even triple the value of SCIP investments, further increasing their positive impact on Ohio’s communities.
If approved, Issue 2 would authorize the issuance of $2.5 billion in general obligation bonds for SCIP projects over the next decade —an increase from the previous $2 billion to account for the rising costs of labor and materials. This renewal is projected to create approximately 35,000 new construction jobs across Ohio. Most importantly, the program does not require any tax increase, as bond repayments have been and will continue to be made from existing state revenues. Another unique aspect of the SCIP program is that the projects assisted by these state bond dollars are submitted, scored and chosen by a panel of local county, municipal and township officials and not Columbus.
I have recently attended the council meetings of all of the cities and villages within my Ohio House District, and a Lake County Board of Commissioners meeting; at those sessions, I explained the program and furnished those local officials a list of projects and dollar amounts received (nearly $100 million in total) by their respective jurisdictions over the 38-year history of the SCIP program.
SCIP has a proven track record of local impact and accountability. In its past iterations, this state-local partnership has had strong bipartisan support in the legislature and widespread support among Ohio voters. Its renewal ensures that communities across Ohio can continue to access reliable funding for infrastructure projects that improve quality of life, protect public health, and promote long-term economic development.
Please take the time to vote on or before May 6, and please cast a favorable vote for State Issue 2. It has worked extremely well over almost four decades, and it is a wonderful and proven way to support yours and other Ohio communities address critical infrastructure issues without increasing taxes.
The News-Herald welcomes opinion column submissions so all sides of an issue may be aired. Daniel Troy represents District 23 in the Ohio House of Representatives. He is a Democrat from Willowick.
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