Photo by Warren Scott Several leaders of Jefferson County gather in front of the county courthouse on Monday to encourage voters to support renewal of Ohio Issue 2, which establishes funding for road, water and wastewater projects through the Ohio Public Works Commission. Voicing support for the issue were, from left, Mike Paprocki, executive director of the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission; Jefferson County Commissioners Tony Morelli and Jake Kleineke, Steubenville City Engineer Mike Dolak, Steubenville Township Trustee Scott Fabian and Jefferson County Engineer Eric Hilty.

STEUBENVILLE — Several leaders of Jefferson County are urging voters in the May 6 election to support renewal of Ohio Issue 2, noting it has allowed the state to award millions in funds for road, water and wastewater projects in this region.

“We want to make it clear (passage of) Issue 2 is critical. And it won’t cost voters any additional money,” said Jefferson County Commissioner Tony Morelli.

Mike Paprocki, executive director of the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission, noted the issue was introduced in 1987 and has been renewed three times since.

Through it, up to $2.5 billion in capital improvement bonds may be issued over the next 10 years to support grants and loans awarded by the Ohio Public Works Commission for projects deemed necessary to preserve and expand public infrastructure, ensure public health, safety and welfare; create and preserve jobs and improve the economic welfare of the state.

Paprocki noted the OPWC funds, which are distributed according to the population served, have supplemented local money allocated for various projects and have been applied to the 20 percent match required for federal funds awarded for some.

“Once the funding decisions are made by local officials administering the projects, OPWC pays its share of project costs,” he said.

According to officials with the Ohio Public Works Commission, since Issue 2 was renewed in 2014, it has provided funds to 1,084 local government entities for 4,490 projects.

Paprocki said, “From 2017 to 2025, Issue 2 provided $94.2 million in funding for infrastructure projects in the counties of Belmont, Carroll, Harrison, Jefferson and Tuscarawas, averaging 65 percent of all project costs for local roadway and water improvement projects.”

Steubenville City Engineer Mike Dolak said since 2004, the city has received about $6 million in state funds through Issue 2 for roadway, waterline and sewer improvements.

Dolak said the city projects have included the $2.4 million widening of Sunset Boulevard and Lovers Lane, of which $250,000 was from the OPWC; $2.8 million in traffic signal upgrades along state Route 7 in the city, with OPWC providing $199,000; and $480,000 in improvements to Johnson Road and St. Charles Drive, with the OPWC providing about $90,000 for the project involving primary routes to Trinity Medical Center West.

“In addition, each year the city does a major street resurfacing project, which ranges in cost between $500,000 and $600,000, with OPWC grant funding ranging from $150,000 to $250,000 yearly,” said Dolak.

Scott Fabian, a Steubenville Township trustee and president of the Ohio Townships Association, said OPWC funds issued through Issue 2 have included $225,000 that has allowed three Jefferson County townships to complete $2.25 million in road improvements.

“Townships wouldn’t be able to pave a lot of roads without this program,” he said.

Jefferson County Engineer Eric Hilty said the state funds also have supported emergency projects, including repairs to slips on County Road 26 and Cross Creek Township 166 and one of two on Island Creek Township Road 350, the other being funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“Without this program, townships would have very little funding. And villages as well,” said Paprocki.

Fabian agreed, saying, of the 1,308 townships in Ohio, including 14 in Jefferson County, “They all rely on this program for their monies.”

Other projects in Jefferson County that have been supported by Issue 2 funds include: a $2 million sewer project in Wintersville, which received $1 million in OPWC funds; the $1.5 million replacement of a water storage tank for Smithfield, supported with $613,250 in OPWC funds; $1.9 million in waterline replacements in Toronto, funded with $390,000 from the OPWC; and the $314,580 first phase of the Cross Creek Bridge replacement, supported with $279,976 from the OPWC.

Jefferson County Commissioner Jake Kleineke also urged voters to support Issue 2’s renewal.

“We need this for our infrastructure. The roads, our water system, are in bad shape. We need this to keep up with them,” he said.

Hilty agreed, saying, “If this program doesn’t continue, we’ll be hurting from an infrastructural standpoint.”