Northern Ohio commissioners concerned about Kasich turnpike plan

COLUMBUS — County commissioners from northern Ohio voiced concern about Gov. John Kasich’s plans to use the state’s lone toll road to leverage billions of dollars for road and bridge projects.

Lorain County Commissioner Ted Kalo and others representing counties from the Indiana border to the Pennsylvania border said today they want guarantees added to legislation to ensure most of the proceeds will be used north of U.S. Route 30 and that local commuters won’t be subject to toll hikes.

“We were assured that the turnpike was not going to be sold; the workers would not be laid off; and most crucially, the proceeds from any debt issued would be kept where the tolls were paid, in northern Ohio,” Kalo said. “In fact we were explicitly promised during the governor’s tour and in multiple press releases from the Ohio Department of Transportation that more than 90 percent of any bond proceeds would be kept in northern Ohio, devoted to our highway and bridge projects.”

Under Gov. John Kasich’s plan, the state would borrow about $1.5 billion, via bonding against future tolls, and hope to leverage another $1.5 billion in local and federal funding.