For Immediate Release
Date: Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Contact: Jason Warner, Director of Strategic Engagement
614.224.0187 or jwarner@greaterohio.org
Statement from Greater Ohio Policy Center on the Senate Substitute Budget Bill
“Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) is Ohio’s champion for a revitalized Ohio. We advocate for policies that improve the communities of Ohio. We are deeply concerned with a number of proposals put forward by the Ohio Senate Finance Committee in the substitute bill of June 3, 2025.
Brownfield Remediation Program
The Ohio Senate Finance Committee’s proposed changes to the Brownfield Remediation Program (BRP) would undermine the significant progress that has been made over the past four years.
Under the Senate proposal, future brownfield grants would be restricted to only projects that have a designated “economic development” end-use.
Since 2021, Ohio has invested nearly $700 million in the assessment and clean-up of hundreds of brownfield sites across the state. More than 200 of the sites have received assessment grants, totaling nearly $44 million. Unless those sites have a proposed economic development end use, this spending will go to waste as clean-up efforts will not be able to proceed under the program.
GOPC’s review of all BRP grants to date shows that, of the 631 total grant awards issued since 2021, 21% of project awards have fallen under the “economic development” category.
It would be a disservice to the people of Ohio to restrict ongoing funding only for projects that have an “economic development” end use, when the state is facing innumerable challenges, including a housing crisis where these sites could be redeveloped for future residential development (as 26% of current grant awards are planned).
GOPC strongly opposes these changes and urges the Senate or Conference Committee to remove them from the bill.
Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit
The Committee’s budget proposal eliminates proposed increases to the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit (HPTC) and ends the program after fiscal year 2027 unless a future General Assembly elects to keep the program.
Again, these proposed changes are shortsighted and potentially devastating for economic and community revitalization efforts statewide.
With 33 rounds of funding complete, tax credits have been approved for 722 projects to rehabilitate more than 975 historic buildings in 91 different Ohio communities. The program is projected to leverage more than $10,745,491,831 billion in private development funding and federal tax credits directly through the rehabilitation projects.
GOPC strongly urge the Senate or Conference Committee to restore the proposed increase in tax credits from the House-passed budget to $90 million per year and eliminate the proposed sunset after 2027.
Midwest Interstate Rail Compact
The substitute bill eliminates the proposed ratification of the Midwest Interstate Rail Compact and the $50,000 earmark to cover costs of membership in the organization for the next two years.
Expanding passenger rail service in Ohio will increase connections between and within the state’s regions and connect Ohio to the Midwest. Viable cross-state passenger rail will reduce the assumed need for roadway expansion and allow existing rail infrastructure to better support the increased demands of commercial and industrial freight logistics.
GOPC strongly supports the adoption of the Compact and urges the Senate to retain these provisions as an important step to enable continued work to expand these highly sought after service routes in Ohio.
Conclusion
Greater Ohio Policy Center strongly opposes these and other changes made by the Ohio Senate Finance Committee to House Bill 96 and urges the Senate to reject these changes.”
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Attribution: This statement may be attributed to Jason Warner, GOPC Director of Strategic Engagement, and Aaron Clapper, GOPC Director of Outreach and Projects
About the Greater Ohio Policy Center
Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization with a mission to improve Ohio’s communities through smart growth strategies and research. Our vision is a revitalized Ohio. We undertake original research and analysis, develop pragmatic policy recommendations and advocacy strategies, and deploy our convening power to meet the needs of Ohio’s local change-makers. We operate statewide.