You probably didn't see the lines wrapping around the block for this one. Honestly, in an election where voter turnout barely scraped past 10%, it’s easy to assume whatever was on the ballot didn't matter much. But if you live in Ohio, Ohio Issue 2 2025 is going to affect your daily life more than most of the high-drama political bickering you see on the news.
It passed. Big time.
Basically, Ohio Issue 2 was a statewide constitutional amendment that hit the ballot on May 6, 2025. It wasn't about social issues or partisan power grabs—it was about the literal ground you drive on and the pipes under your house. By a roughly 2-to-1 margin, Ohioans said "yes" to letting the state borrow $2.5 billion to fix local infrastructure.
What was Ohio Issue 2 2025 actually about?
Let's strip away the legal jargon. The Ohio Constitution is kinda old-school; it actually limits how much debt the state can take on to just $750,000 unless the voters say otherwise. Because $750k wouldn't even cover a single decent bridge repair these days, the state has to keep coming back to us to ask for permission to issue bonds.
Issue 2 was a renewal of the State Capital Improvement Program (SCIP). This program has been around since 1987. Every 10 years or so, it runs out of money, and the General Assembly puts a new version on the ballot.
The nuts and bolts of the deal:
- The Price Tag: $2.5 billion in general obligation bonds.
- The Timeline: The state can issue up to $250 million per year over the next 10 years.
- The Projects: This money is strictly for "steel and dirt" stuff—roads, bridges, wastewater systems, water supply lines, and solid waste facilities.
- The Restrictions: You won't see this money going to build a new stadium or a fancy museum. The law is very specific about it being for essential local infrastructure.
Why did it pass so easily?
It’s rare to see Democrats and Republicans agree on much of anything, but Issue 2 was a unicorn. The Ohio General Assembly sent this to the voters with a 30-1 vote in the Senate and an 87-4 vote in the House. Why? Because every single one of Ohio’s 88 counties gets a piece of the pie.
Small villages and massive cities like Columbus or Cleveland all have a massive backlog of repairs. If a township in Logan County needs to fix a crumbling bridge but doesn't have the tax base to pay for it, they apply for a SCIP grant or a low-interest loan funded by these bonds.
Engineers like Scott Coleman, who heads the County Engineers Association of Ohio, were some of the biggest cheerleaders for the measure. They’ve been screaming for years about a "funding shortfall" in local budgets. Basically, local property taxes just aren't keeping up with the rising cost of asphalt and concrete.
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The "No" side: Who was against it?
Even though the opposition was quiet, there was a certified argument against it. The main gripe? Debt.
Critics pointed out that while we get the $2.5 billion now, we’ll be paying interest on those bonds for up to 30 years. Some fiscal hawks argue that local governments should be "living within their means" and paying for their own roads with local dollars instead of leaning on the state's credit card. They see it as an increase in the state's overall indebtedness that our kids will eventually have to settle.
There was also a bit of confusion. Some voters thought Issue 2 was somehow linked to a controversial $600 million bond package for a new Cleveland Browns stadium in Brook Park. It wasn't. Supporters spent a lot of time clarifying that these funds are legally locked into "boring" stuff like sewers and culverts, not professional sports.
How this affects your wallet
Here’s the part most people get wrong: Issue 2 does not raise your taxes.
The state already has the repayment of these bonds built into its long-term budget. Because Ohio has a pretty solid credit rating, borrowing this money is relatively "cheap" for the government. Proponents actually argue that by using state bonds, they reduce the pressure on local mayors and township trustees to raise your local property taxes or income taxes to fix a water main break.
Real-world impact by the numbers
Since the program started in the late 80s, it has funded over 19,000 projects across the state. We’re talking about:
- Replacing bridges that have been "load-limited" (meaning school buses or fire trucks can't cross them).
- Updating 50-year-old sewer plants that leak into local rivers.
- Repaving state routes that are more pothole than road.
If you've noticed a major road project in your town recently that seemed too expensive for your small town to afford, there's a very good chance it was a SCIP project.
What happens next?
Now that the amendment is officially part of Section 2t, Article VIII of the Ohio Constitution, the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) takes the wheel.
They use an "objective" scoring system to decide which projects get the money. They look at things like how many people use the road, how dangerous the current situation is, and whether the local government is willing to chip in some of its own money. It’s a competitive process.
For you as an Ohioan, the next steps are mostly about watching your local government's agenda. If you want to see how this affects your specific neighborhood, here is what you can do:
- Check your local council or township meeting minutes. Local officials are currently drafting their 2026 and 2027 project lists to apply for these new funds.
- Look for the "Project Funded by Ohio Public Works Commission" signs. You'll start seeing these popping up at construction sites near you as the first $250 million round of bonding hits the streets.
- Monitor the OPWC website. They maintain a public list of every grant and loan awarded, so you can see exactly how much money is coming back to your specific county.
Issue 2 might not have the "buzz" of a presidential race, but it's the reason your tap water stays clean and your commute doesn't destroy your car's suspension. It’s the definition of "quiet but vital" government.