Public infrastructure on ballot in May 6 election

• By Reilly Dixon
• Published: May 3, 2025

• No Comments

In a special election on Tuesday, May 6, Ohio voters will decide whether to renew a statewide program that provides public infrastructure funds for local governments.

If passed, Issue 2 would amend the Ohio Constitution to allow the state to issue bonds or other obligations to finance or assist in public infrastructure projects at the local level — including here in Yellow Springs.

According to the ballot language, capital improvement projects would be limited to roads and bridges, wastewater treatment systems, water supply systems, solid waste disposal facilities, stormwater and sanitary collection and storage and treatment facilities.

For village residents, Issue 2 is the only item up for consideration in the May 6 election.

The ballot measure, which was earlier proposed by a bipartisan joint resolution of the Ohio General Assembly, would continue to fund the State Capital Improvement Program, which has been around since the 1980s. The same issue has appeared on state ballots three times before, and each time, voters opted to approve the renewal.

As in the past, should voters vote “yes” on Issue 2, the state will borrow money — this cycle, $2.5 billion — and charge the Ohio Public Works Commission with funding local infrastructure projects through grants and no-interest loans.

Since 2014 — that is, over  the last 10-year funding round — the Village of Yellow Springs has received $3,107,880 in loans and grants from the State Capital Improvement Program.

According to data from the Village, that money helped fund projects such as water meter replacements, storm sewer improvements between Winter and Railroad streets, the construction of the water treatment plant on Grinnell Road and the Dayton Street improvement project.

“Without the money from the state, all of those projects would not have happened,” Village Manager Johnnie Burns told the News last week.

Burns, like many municipal leaders and legislators throughout Ohio, strongly supports the passage of Issue 2. The State Capital Improvement Program is both popular and bipartisan; Democrat and Republican lawmakers from both chambers drafted an argument in favor of the issue.

In their written argument, those lawmakers said the program can bring “needed repairs” to all 88 counties in Ohio, create “thousands of jobs” as local infrastructure projects are carried out — all this at no cost to the recipients.

“Funds to repay project bonds are already built into state budget planning, so Issue 2 won’t increase your taxes,” the argument reads. “Ohio’s strong finances and excellent bond ratings make possible a modest increase in funding for these capital improvements. Issue 2 also reduces pressure to raise local taxes.”

Manager Burns likened this program — or at least the grants it issues — to “free money” for Yellow Springs and other municipalities.

“I highly support Issue 2,” he said. “If it doesn’t pass, there’d be a big impact in Yellow Springs. And we’d really see those effects over the next 10 years. For example, we hope to use some of this money to resurface a lot of our roadways in a big way here soon.”

With the overwhelming support of Issue 2 among legislators at the state level, the state ballot board had to write the argument against the amendment.

The argument against it notes that the general obligation bonds “increase indebtedness” for the state, and as a result, “all Ohio taxpayers will be paying interest on those bonds to cover local government projects … from which many Ohioans may not see a direct benefit and which local governments should prioritize and pay for using locally raised dollars.”

Burns isn’t convinced.

“Vote ‘yes’ on this,” he beseeched Yellow Springs residents. “This won’t cost you a dime.”

The statewide special election is Tuesday, May 6. As in past elections, all Yellow Springs residents and western Miami Township residents will vote at Antioch University Midwest, 900 Dayton St.; and eastern Miami Township residents will vote at Cedar Land Event Center, 200 Parkview Lane, Cedarville. Polls will be open 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

To read the exact ballot language of Issue 2, go to http://www.bit.ly/YS_Issue2.

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