EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one in a series looking at what Northeast Ohio communities, officials and agencies experienced in 2024 and what is facing them in 2025.
State Rep. Daniel Troy, D-Willowick, who won re-election in November, this week noted that he plans to continue fighting for the people of District 23 while moving forward with legislations and policies he’s initiated and advocated during his tenure.
2024 at a glance
“As a member of the Ohio General Assembly, I worked on several issues in the past year, and, recently, joined with Republican State Rep. and Speaker Pro Tempore Scott Oeslager (North Canton) to co-sponsor and introduce House Joint Resolution 8,” Troy said.
“We were successful in getting this proposal through both the House and Senate during the post-election, lame-duck session,” he added. “This measure places an issue on the May 2025 statewide ballot that will ask the voters to renew the constitutional authorization necessary to continue the State Capital Improvement Program for another 10 years, as the current authorization will expire on July 1.”
The Ohio Public Works Commission administers the program and the Local Transportation Improvement Program.
The State Capital Improvement Program is a grant/loan program for roads, bridges, water supply, wastewater, stormwater and solid waste disposal infrastructure.
Local Transportation Improvement program grants and loans are solely for local roads and bridges.
All projects funded by the programs are solicited, scored, and selected by 19 local district integrating committees composed of local officials from county, city, village, and township governments.
Troy emphasized that officials from Lake, Geauga, Ashtabula and Portage counties make up one of the committees, “not Columbus,” noting that Cuyahoga County serves as its own committee.
He added that he’s very familiar with the program from two perspectives.
“Rep. Oeslager and I were two of the original co-sponsors when the program was created in 1987, and as a Lake County commissioner, I was able to serve for many years on our committee that scored and selected projects that would be funded,” Troy said. “This program was one of the best ideas the state ever developed, and it is too important and too beneficial of a state/local partnership to allow it to expire.
“Hundreds of millions of dollars for critical infrastructure repairs and upgrades have been received by local communities in Lake and Cuyahoga over the life of this program,” he added. “In most cases, the local government would be unable to afford the project cost without this help.”
Passage of the constitutional authorization would allow the issuance of $2.5 billion —$250 million per year — of general obligation bonds and create approximately 35,000 construction jobs.
Troy noted, there is no tax increase involved with the passage, “as the state is significantly under its percentage debt service limit and can afford that debt service out of existing revenues.”
Taxes
Troy additionally spent “a considerable amount of time” addressing efforts regarding property tax relief and reform.
“I have been a bit frustrated with the inability to get my legislation (passed), which would substantially increase the number of individuals that would qualify for the homestead exemption, while also doubling the dollar amount that would be exempted from their taxable valuation,” he said.
“I was hopeful that the Joint Committee on Property Tax Study and Reform that I created with language in the current state budget would help bring about some needed changes,” Troy added. “I’m hopeful that something will take root in the next budget bill we will be working on this spring.
“The issue of property taxes is probably the most-heard item brought to my attention by my constituents,” he emphasized. “It’s time that we stop talking about it in Columbus and actually get something done to limit its burden on so many of our citizens.”
Historical impact
Nov. 19 was the first official James A. Garfield Day in Ohio after Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 61 into law Oct. 12, 2023.
The measure went into effect last January.
“At the request of National Park Service officials at the James A. Garfield National Historic Site, I was asked to introduce this legislation with (state) Rep. Jamie Callender (R-Concord Township),” Troy said.
“Garfield was a true son of Northeast Ohio who rose to the highest office in our nation,” he added. “He had such promise, as someone who knew how to compromise and reach common ground on the important issues of his day. He was passionate in his efforts to end the spoils system and its blatant political patronage practices.
“Unfortunately, President Garfield became our second president to expire from an assassin’s bullet….sadly, his great promise was not realized.”
Looking forward
With 2025 only days old, Troy noted he will continue to advocate for improvements in many areas impacting older Ohioans, such as enhanced enforcement against those that prey on vulnerable seniors and increases in nutritional benefits for seniors struggling to afford food.
This, he said, also includes legislation and programs to reduce elder abuse.
Additionally, Troy plans to advocate for reforms and better accountability in nursing homes and adult care facilities, and increased wages to ensure proper home health care to seniors.
“I will continue my support for sufficient funding and programs to protect our waterways and Lake Erie, and, also, improve workforce development while encouraging economic policies that promote redevelopment of existing sites rather than new development that eats up green space,” he said.
“As always, I will work with both sides of the aisle to improve the quality of life for our citizens,” Troy added. “It’s our responsibility to do that as effectively and as efficiently as possible in response to the trust that the voters have placed in us by selecting us to represent them.”
