Schmidt Supports Transportation Budget

COLUMBUS – The Ohio House of Representatives today concurred with Senate amendments to House Bill 74, the 2023-2024 Transportation Budget. Supported by State Representative Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland) the legislation would appropriate approximately $4.33 billion in FY 2022 and $4.04 billion in FY 2023.

“As a member of the House Finance Committee, I worked on this important legislation with my colleagues to eliminate additional taxes and fees contained in the executive proposal,” said Schmidt. “This budget invests in the infrastructure and public transit in the greater Cincinnati region, and I’m proud to have supported it.” 

Under the agreed upon bill, approximate agency appropriations over the biennium are as follows:

• $6.5 billion to the Ohio Department of Transportation, which supports infrastructure, highways, roads, bridge construction and maintenance, and public transportation
• $1.4 billion to the Department of Public Safety (DPS), including $50 million in each fiscal year to the Ohio State Highway Patrol
• $119 million to the Public Works Commission (PWC) Local Transportation Improvement Program
• $30 million to the Development Services Agency (DSA) Roadwork Development Grant Program
• FY 2022 appropriations for ODOT include about $333 million in stimulus funding from the Consolidated Appropriations Act passed by Congress in December 2020
• $126 million of this funding will be provided to local governments to cover lost revenue from pandemic travel restrictions
• ODOT will dedicate approximately $60 million in FY 2022 and 2023 to major new projects through the Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC)

The Transportation Budget now heads to the desk of the governor for a signature.