Testimony

HOUSE WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE | PROPONENT TESTIMONY ON SENATE BILL 307

Niki Clum, Deputy Director
June 9, 2026

Chair Roemer, Vice Chair Thomas, Ranking Member Troy, and members of the House Ways & Means Committee, thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony on behalf of the Ohio Mayors Alliance.

The Ohio Mayors Alliance is a bipartisan coalition representing the mayors of Ohio’s 30 largest cities, and includes representation from the Mayors Partnership for Progress in Southeast Ohio. Our mission is centered on protecting the fiscal health of Ohio’s municipalities, preserving Home Rule and local control, and fostering meaningful collaboration between state and local governments.

Public safety expenses make up the majority of our cities’ budget expenditures, and we invest significantly in our public safety forces, equipment, and infrastructure. Ohio’s 30 largest cities alone spend over $2.1 billion annually on police, fire, and emergency medical services.

TIFs are a critical tool available to local governments to finance expensive, but necessary, public infrastructure projects. Although we are cautious about the long-term impacts of committing city resources to any large, multi-year project, many of the most critical services our cities provide would not be possible without TIFs and other financing options available to us.

We are grateful to Senator Timken for introducing SB 307, which will clarify that “public infrastructure” includes the construction of police and fire facilities. As you know, providing our first responders with the best equipment, facilities, and technology available to do their jobs is crucial to ensuring that our cities remain safe, vibrant places for Ohioans to live, work, and visit. Utilizing TIF arrangements to finance such projects allows cities and local governments of all sizes across Ohio to provide their public safety forces with the resources they need to perform at the highest level. This supports our commitment to keeping our first responders, residents, and visitors safe—the top priority for city leaders.

For the reasons above, we strongly support SB 307, and urge you to do so as well. Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony in support of SB 307.