COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — This May, there is one statewide issue on the ballot, asking voters to approve a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure bond program.  

Issue 2 asks Ohioans to approve $2.5 billion in bonds to fund local infrastructure projects.    

“That could be roads, bridges, water, sewer, stormwater improvements,” President of the County Engineers Association of Ohio Scott Coleman said. 

Coleman, who is also the Logan County Engineer, said approval on this issue should be a no-brainer for voters. 

“The money goes directly into construction projects, and we feel like that’s where we’ve really benefited,” he said. “With federal funding, a lot of times there are some overhead costs associated with it and not every dollar gets put directly into construction and here with the state capital improvements program, we get nearly all of those dollars into the construction.” 

The $2.5 billion bond would be approved for the next ten years as part of Ohio’s local infrastructure upkeep that has been around since 1987.  

In 1995, 62% of voters approved the renewal; in 2005, 54% of voters said yes again, and in 2014, it passed with 65% of the vote. 

Even though it has had so much support historically, Ohio Rep. Ron Ferguson (R-Wintersville) said it is time to move on. 

“I do think it’s outdated and it continues to grow,” he said. 

In 2014, the voters were asked to approve $2 billion in bonds. This time around, backers said the extra money is needed due to inflation. But still, Ferguson said not all communities are getting a fair share with this program.    

“We’re in this time where we should be making tax dollars stretch as far as possible to provide as many good, solid services for people as possible and I don’t think this is the most efficient way to do that,” he said. 

Ferguson said asking voters to approve this project, in an off-year election when turnout is likely going to be low, is unfair.  

“I think it would be a lot more fair if it wasn’t on the May of 2025 election,” he said. “Of course, spring elections have lower turnout than the fall elections, and odd-year elections have lower turnout than general election.” 

Coleman said local communities won’t want to go without the bond projects that have been in place for nearly four decades. 

“You certainly will notice it,” Coleman said. “It’s been a tremendous help to all of our townships and small villages, and it also helps the counties in the cities as well.”  

He said that in his community, for example, it generates just under $900,000 a year for local projects. 

“And that could be a sewer line replacement, a village street reconstruction where they go in, reconstruct the water lines, sewer lines and repave the road,” Coleman said. “Those projects would go away [if Issue 2 fails]. It’s been very successful.” 

Ferguson said he does not disagree — there needs to be money going towards local projects, but said he thinks there are better ways to fund it, and that the state needs “got to get a lot more serious” about restructuring that. 

“We waste so much money in government on frivolous things that we should never be spending on and I want to see us spend on things that do matter, like our roads, our infrastructure,” Ferguson said. “Let’s just redesign the program to work better for Ohioans.” 

If Issue 2 does pass, because it is a bond program, it will not result in any foreseen or immediate state tax hike.