In a rush to create a new economic development program, Gov. John Kasich and the Republican-dominated legislature put at risk an existing one. The popular, highly successful Clean Ohio brownfields remediation program, supported by bonds backed by liquor profits, has been left high and dry, the money diverted to support JobsOhio, the private nonprofit that assumed the job-creation duties of the Department of Development.
The Kasich administration now is moving toward much-needed repair work. In recent days, Tim Keen, the director of the Office of Budget and Management, said replacement revenue sources are under review.
Finding a permanent solution is vital to a coherent, effective job-creation strategy for the state. It also is necessary to meet the demands of voters, twice expressed in statewide ballot issues.
The program to clean up abandoned and polluted industrial sites, approved as a constitutional amendment in 2000 and renewed in 2008, has distributed $350 million in grants. The Clean Ohio money has leveraged $3.8 billion in brownfield cleanup and redevelopment, creating 17,000 jobs.
The redevelopment that has occurred in core cities is smart growth. By reducing sprawl, workers don’t have to commute long distances, which eases pollution. More, infrastructure, such as water and sewer lines, is already in place, avoiding the expense of extending them into the cornfields.
Less certain is the future of the other half of Clean Ohio, which provides grants for expanded greenspace through general revenue bonds. Republican leaders say times have changed, that they need to focus on jobs rather than the preservation of farmland and natural areas and the expansion of parks and recreational facilities.
They take this stand in defiance of their own words about reflecting the will of the voters. Funding for such projects must be provided in the next capital budget, driven by the high degree of importance voters have placed on the rural component of the Clean Ohio plan.
By preserving wild areas, water quality is improved, as are habitats for fish and wildlife. Recreational opportunities are provided by expanding parks and trails (such as the Ohio & Erie Towpath Trail). Such amenities are important to an economic development strategy, as part of attracting and maintaining a talented work force, necessary to power a knowledge-based economy.
Kasich and his team argue that JobsOhio, with up to $100 million a year in liquor profits, can respond quickly to the needs of businesses. The same speed should be shown in meeting the needs of voters who backed Clean Ohio.
