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DeWine And Cordray Differ On Plans To Fund Infrastructure

highway in Columbus
Gabe Rosenberg
/
WOSU

Ohio's candidates for governor appear to have different approaches on how they’d pay for infrastructure, as construction costs rise and gas tax revenue declines.

Republican candidate Mike DeWine told a group of agencies that work with local communities that he’d appoint a blue ribbon task force to study how to best pay for infrastructure fixes, saying that panel would need to make recommendations quickly. And DeWine says if a tax hike is suggested, he’d be open to a candid conversation on that.

Democratic candidate Richard Cordray has a different idea.

“Blue ribbon commissions are often an excuse for not being ready to lead or not being ready to set a direction in the state,” he said.

Cordray says he’d go to voters with what he called a “significant bond financing package” for road and bridge repairs, improving the grid and expanding broadband. But he says he doesn’t have a number in mind on how significant that package would be.