On Our Radar: News Clips from Greater Ohio Policy Center

Contact Us

Join Our Newsletter

At Greater Ohio Policy Center, we monitor the news daily to learn more about the sustainable growth initiatives and related developments in our state and beyond that affect Ohio. Below are articles that caught our attention over the last few weeks, and we thought they might interest you as well. If you have an article you would like to share with us, please email it to Jason Warner at jwarner@greaterohio.org.

Thank you,
The Greater Ohio Policy Center Staff

Special Announcement

GOPC continues to provide updates to resources that are available in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as guidence on what response is needed to help communities recover from the pandemic.

Please visit our website for the latest updates, including guidance from the Governor's office on Restart Ohio, as well as information about forbearance for homeowners to financed their homes through Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

Budget & Appropriations

Coronavirus in Ohio: $775 million in budget cuts due to pandemic include $300 million reduction to schools
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced immediate cuts in state spending totaling $775 million on Tuesday as the financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic devastates state tax collections.
Columbus Dispatch - 5/6/2020 Reporter Randy Ludlow

Ohio Senate sends House bill providing $350M in CARES Act cash to local governments
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday afternoon that could provide $350 million to help local governments with coronavirus expenses.
Cleveland Plain Dealer - 5/7/2020 Reporter Laura Hancock

Ohio budget report shows bad news on nearly all fronts
Ohio’s monthly budget report is nothing but terrible news, with many economic indicators at their lowest point in generations.
Dayton Daily News - 5/13/2020 Reporter Laura Bischoff

Cities

Covid-19 has imperiled the future of Cleveland and its downtown, and we need visionaries now who can lead discussions on a new tomorrow
Like the meteor that ended the reign of the dinosaurs on this planet, COVID-19 slammed into the downtowns of American cities such as Cleveland six weeks ago with an impact that no one saw coming.
Cleveland Plain Dealer - 5/1/2020

Coronavirus: Short North Alliance hopes to revive sales with gift card program
On May 12, the Short North Alliance begins a new gift card program to boost business in the district.
Columbus Dispatch - 5/7/2020 Reporter Mark Ferenchik

Make over The Docks
Things are looking up along Toledo’s eastern banks of the Maumee River.
Toledo Blade - 5/7/2020 Reporter Editorial Board

So small restaurants can open, some Cincinnati streets will close - and become outdoor dining spaces
The City of Cincinnati will close parts of 25 streets in Over-the-Rhine and Downtown Cincinnati so restaurants can expand outdoor seating, a move that will help restaurants without patio space keep tables farther apart for social distancing – and open as early as possible.
Cincinnati Enquirer - 5/11/2020 Reporter Sharon Coolidge

Akron pitches downtown outdoor drinking zone beyond bar patios
Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan wants to let patrons take their beers beyond the patios and fencing of some downtown bars, restaurants and music venues.
Akron Beacon Journal - 5/12/2020 Reporter Doug Livingston

Housing & Urban Development

The housing market faces its next crisis as May rent and mortgages come due
For 13 years, Danny Catalanotto paid the more than $2,000 mortgage on his Bowie, Md., home on time every month. When work as a church organist dried up in mid-March, Catalanotto says, he expected his mortgage company to offer help.
Washington Post - 5/4/2020 Reporter Renae Merle

Franklin County Auditor looks to suspend property assessments amid Covid-19 fallout
With the coronavirus pandemic impacting many aspects of the economy, Franklin County could put property value assessments on hold.
Columbus Business First - 5/6/2020 Reporter Tristan Navera

U.S. Attorney's Office asking public to report predatory housing practices amid COVID-19 pandemic
The Northern District of Ohio U.S. The Attorney's Office is asking the public to report predatory housing practices.
Willoughby News Herald - 5/11/2020

Eviction cases are down, but that's unlikely to last: 'The dam is going to burst'
Paying the rent on their Westwood home wasn’t supposed to be a problem this year for Latroya and Jesse Goines. She was training for a new job with better pay and benefits as a bus driver, and he was preparing to start a janitorial business.
Cincinnati Enquirer - 5/12/2020 Reporter Dan Horn

Local Government

County budget healthy, projects moving forward
ZANESVILLE - Despite the beating the COVID-19 pandemic has put on the global economy, Muskingum County is in good shape, said Muskingum County Commissioner Cindy Cameron.
Zanesville Times Recorder - 5/4/2020 Reporter Chris Crook

Layoffs, spending cuts loom at Ashtabula City Hall
ASHTABULA — City officials looked at layoffs and spending cuts Friday morning during a special finance committee meeting, during which the city manager proposed a new 2020 budget amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Ashtabula Star Beacon - 5/4/2020 Reporter Shelley Terry

Central Ohio cities and counties preparing for budget cut due to COVID-19 pandemic
Aside from the health impacts of COVID-19, the virus is also hitting the economy hard.
WBNS Columbus (CBS) - 5/5/2020

Non-Profit Organizations

Coronavirus: Local nonprofit has fed nearly 10,000 Miami Valley families
What started out of Nicole Adkins’ Northridge home in 2015 with her coupon club is now a food pantry powerhouse feeding needy Dayton residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dayton Daily News - 5/9/2020 Reporter Sarah Franks

Coronavirus relief fund provides more money to Summit County nonprofits
Close to another $300,000 in coronavirus relief funding is being distributed to nonprofit groups from a local support fund.
Akron Beacon Journal - 5/9/2020Reporter Sean McDonnell

Taxation

Hamilton County taxpayers get a break – a short one – on real estate taxes
If you pay real estate taxes in Hamilton County, you’re getting a short reprieve on this year’s bill.
Cincinnati Enquirer - 5/5/2020Reporter Hannah Sparling

Transportation & Infrastructure

TARTA to take sales tax proposal back to member communities
Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority officials talk to local jurisdictions again this week about the possibility of replacing two property levies with a sales tax.
Toledo Blade - 5/4/2020 Reporter David Patch

Plunge in fuel sales from stay-at-home order threatens Ohio road projects
Gas and diesel sales are off more than 50% across the state, fuel retailers say, which means that Ohio’s plans to dramatically boost highway construction may get severely set back because of the coronavirus’ impact on driving
Columbus Dispatch - 5/4/2020 Reporter Bill Bush

Ohio State study finds more speeders on coronavirus-cleared highways
Researchers used data from INRIX, a private transportation data company, on Ohio’s three largest urban areas — Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati — comparing information for the period between March 28 and April 19 in 2019 and 2020.
Columbus Dispatch - 5/5/2020 Reporter Mark Ferenchik

In the eye of the coronavirus storm, RTA is still getting Greater Clevelanders where they need to go, safely: India Birdsong
CLEVELAND -- It’s simple, right? “Get me from ‘Point A’ to ‘Point B.’”
Cleveland Plain Dealer - 5/13/2020

« Back to Blog

OCCD
P.O. Box 776
Urbana, Ohio 43078

Phone: (937) 652-3523
Fax: 1-866-728-4581
Email: office@occd.org

Find us on: