Now that the budget is signed, Gov. Mike DeWine said he’s already thinking about how to pay for water quality in Lake Erie after that two-year budget cycle ends.
DeWine wanted to front-load funding for clean Lake Erie initiatives by creating the H2Ohio Fund and putting $900 million in for the next decade.
Instead, lawmakers put $172 million in for the next two years. DeWine said he wants to take any surplus funds, which have been going to the state’s rainy day fund, and put those funds towards Lake Erie.
“Which enables us to have that money in the future and so it’s really like having money in the bank in that sense where we would not have to spend that in the third or fourth year if we already have the money set aside,” he said.
DeWine said the next item on his agenda is to talk with Lake Erie experts and to map out a strategy on improving the water quality.
