Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Board members passed a resolution supporting the issue.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Since its initial passage about 20 years ago, a state issue on the November ballot for renewal has provided money for 10,200 infrastructure projects across the state.
"In Mahoning and Trumbull counties, that's $118 million in projects in the current allocation," said Bruce Johnson, lieutenant governor and the state's director of development.
Johnson spoke Monday to members of the general policy board of Eastgate Regional Council of Governments at the D.D. Davis Center in Mill Creek MetroParks' Fellows Riverside Gardens.
He was urging renewal of the Jobs for Ohio Bond Initiative, which will appear on next month's ballot as state Issue 1.
The $2 billion issue funds three measures aimed at spurring economic growth: $1.35 billion over the next 10 years for traditional infrastructure; $500 million over seven years for technology infrastructure; and $150 million over seven years to make sites job ready.
"Issue 1 doesn't raise taxes," the lieutenant governor said.
Money for bond repayment already is built into the state's future budgets, according to a Web site created to go along with the campaign.
Breakdown of allocations
The infrastructure portion will be used by local governments for projects such as roads, bridges, storm and sanitary sewers and water supplies, Johnson said.
"Local people decide what projects get funded," he said.
Issue 1 also would provide $150 million in grants to local communities to prepare sites for new or expanding companies. Having job-ready sites allows Ohio to compete effectively with other states for those companies, he said.
Johnson also said Issue 1 will create jobs through the technology research and development grants to create new products and bring them to the marketplace.
He referred to alternative fuels and medical research as examples.
"We have to stay on the cutting edge of research and development of new technologies," Johnson said.
Eastgate's general policy board unanimously passed a resolution supporting Issue 1 at Monday's meeting.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, also urged passage.
"Someone is going to take advantage of research and development in the U.S., it might as well be the state of Ohio," the congressman said.