The Mount Vernon City Council has adopted a resolution in support of the State Capital Improvement Program (SCIP), which will appear on the May 6 statewide ballot. The council passed the resolution with a unanimous 6-0 vote on March 10.
"This is not a new tax. This is just a renewal of making funds available to cities like us and townships," said Councilman Mel Severns, according to a YouTube recording of the March 10 meeting.
Severns said that Mount Vernon has received $200,000 from SCIP for improvements to Stone Street and North View Drive's sanitary sewer and water lines. Additionally, more than $700,000 was awarded for utilities improvements and resurfacing projects on Fairgrounds Road, which began on March 10, along with a loan exceeding $2.5 million. Other allocations included $364,000 for West High Street and Sandusky Street improvements, $338,000 for modifications to North Main Street and Chestnut Street, and $450,000 for intersection improvements at South Main Street and Parrot Street.
Mayor Matt Starr emphasized that every ten years voters must approve the SCIP program. The Ohio Public Works Commission leads this initiative by securing funding. Since its inception in 1987, it has financed over 19,000 critical infrastructure projects across all counties in Ohio. These projects include roads, bridges, wastewater treatment plants, water treatment systems, solid waste disposal facilities, and sanitary collection systems. Since the last renewal in 2014, Starr noted that $2.3 billion has been awarded to 1,084 local governments for 4,490 projects.
Starr also highlighted that the program fosters successful partnerships because townships do not receive funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation but can access funds from the Ohio Public Works Commission. This collaboration enabled Mount Vernon to work with Clinton Township on initiatives such as the Fairgrounds Road project.
Starr expressed hope that the non-binding resolution would encourage residents to vote for renewal. With its approval, he plans to promote this message within the community through various channels including his State of the City address and discussions with interested companies or churches. Press releases, radio shows, and social media will also be utilized to disseminate information about SCIP.
