The state of Ohio’s upcoming construction budget will be severely limited according to the Kasich Administration.
The Columbus Dispatch reported that Ohio is able to borrow up to $2.75 billion for the new construction budget; however, the state will likely borrow a fraction of that amount. State Budget Director Tim Keen has indicated that the Kasich Administration is interested in restraining the capital budget and will only focus on necessary maintenance.
State leaders usually pass a capital budget every two years to fund $1.5 billion worth of construction projects around the state; however, Ohio lawmakers failed to pass one in 2010 and therefore failed to address significant construction projects at state prisons, universities and other public buildings for several years.
According to the Columbus Dispatch before the last missed capital budget in 2010 Ohio’s universities already faced $5 billion in backlogged maintenance projects. The capital budget is likely to be introduced in the Ohio General Assembly sometime in early 2012.
