Call to Action: It's Time to Decide on Issue 2 !

Early voting begins today (April 8th) for Ohio’s May 6th primary election. Voters this election season will decide on mayor, city and school board races in their communities, as well as on a statewide ballot item called Issue 2, which will appear on all ballots.

What is Issue 2?

Issue 2 proposes an Amendment to Ohio’s Constitution that would give Ohio the power to issue $2.5 billion in bonds for the construction and repair of bridges, roads, water systems and other projects through a program called the State Capital Improvement Program, which is aimed at funding local governments' public infrastructure improvement projects. These bonds would be issued over a 10-year window, with no more than $250 million in bonds issued annually.

To be clear:

A “YES” vote means you support the proposed Amendment to Ohio's Constitution.

A “NO” vote means you reject the proposed Amendment to Ohio's Constitution.

Food for thought:

• Do you think it’s a good idea to amend Ohio’s Constitution to give Ohio the power to issue $2.5 billion in new bonds over the next 10 years?

• Do you think bonds (debt securities) are an effective way to finance public works projects?

• Do you think Ohio can and will distribute bond-derived funding fairly and efficiently to local communities?

• What are the practical pros and cons of Issue 2? What are the immediate and long-term impacts?

• Do you wonder who actually purchases state-issued bonds?

• Do you wonder when Ohio might have to pay back the bonds’ purchasers, and how much the interest payments might be?

If you haven’t researched Issue 2 yet, or if you’re still undecided, you can learn more (…as a starting point! . . .) by clicking this BallotPedia link before casting your ballot:

One of our missions at Top of Ohio Patriots is to encourage citizens to stay informed and make educated decisions on important issues that affect our daily lives. We hope the above information is helpful!

Respectfully,

Your friends at Top of Ohio Patriots