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ODOT
Happy
New Year!
Fiscal
New Year, that is, because
July 1 marks the start of state government’s fiscal year 2014 and the
first day
of a new biennial transportation budget that will take the Ohio
Department of
Transportation (ODOT)
through June
2015. It’s a time
for all of us here –
working with you, our friends and stakeholders – to make a fresh start,
with
new energy and enthusiasm for the goals we’ve set for the years ahead.
Governor
Kasich also recently
signed the new state budget into law, and it builds on the job-creating
policies in the budget he signed just two years ago when Ohio and the
nation
were just beginning to climb out of the toughest economic downturn
since the
Great Depression. For
example, this
budget features:
•
A $2.7 billion net tax cut to
make Ohio more competitive with other states – and the world – for jobs
and
economic growth, including a 10-percent personal income tax reduction
over
three years and a 50 percent small-business tax deduction on the first
$250,000
of business income.
•
A new Achievement Everywhere Plan
for Ohio’s local schools that delivers $1.5 billion in additional funds
to help
create a world-class education system and encourages schools to pursue
innovative new education strategies to improve student success.
•
A new funding plan for Ohio’s
public colleges and universities that rewards improved graduation rates
in
order to make Ohio a more desirable place for job creators to expand or
relocate and to strengthen our economy.
•
An additional $3 billion in
federal, state and local funds to meet Ohio’s pressing transportation
infrastructure needs – a crucial factor for a growing economy.
As
for ODOT, we look forward to
working with the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission and the
Transportation Review and Advisory Council to implement the Ohio Jobs
and
Transportation Plan. This
plan will
provide $3 billion for critical transportation projects and will reduce
years
of delays.
As
we celebrate the start of the
state’s new fiscal year, we look forward to working with you and all
Ohioans we
serve. We’re
optimistic about the future
of our agency and our outstanding programs as together we work “to keep
Ohio’s
economy moving and deliver more projects—faster.”
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