BOARDMAN — Township trustees want to make sure Boardman residents — and others — get to the polls by May 6 to support a state program that provides valuable funding for the community.

Boardman trustees on Monday passed a resolution proclaiming the township’s support for the Ohio Public Works Commission’s State Capital Improvement Program, also known as Issue 2, which is up for its regular renewal. The program, which provides millions for local paving and infrastructure programs, is due to expire July 1.

The OPWC website states that over the past nine years, the program has provided $2.3 billion in infrastructure funding for 4,490 projects in 1,084 local governments in all 88 counties. The website states that in most years, every $1 in OPWC funds has been matched with double to nearly triple the funding from other sources. The project was originally approved by voters in 1987 and has been renewed about every 10 years since, most recently in 2014.

Boardman’s resolution states that the program has provided more than $7 billion in statewide funding over its nearly 40 years. Fiscal officer and former trustee Brad Calhoun said Boardman will receive $225,000 for paving this year from the program, only the most recent of the awards the township has won to support paving its 144,066 miles of roads.

“Over the past 15 years, at least since I’ve been in office, we’re approaching several million dollars,” Calhoun said. “It’s competitive, and if you receive the award for that cycle, you do qualify for a 0% interest loan, and Boardman has taken advantage of that too.”

The resolution states that investment in state and local infrastructure is critical to economic development, including business and job creation and supports public health and safety.

Calhoun stressed that the bipartisan program, which provides funding for roads and bridges, sewage treatment plants, water lines, solid waste disposal, and storm and sanitary sewers will not raise taxes, and has passed overwhelmingly in past renewal cycles.

Calhoun said a regional board comprised of Mahoning and Trumbull County officials — including both county engineers and Boardman Trustee Tom Costello — makes the funding decisions based on a points system.

Calhoun said Mahoning County Engineer and Sanitary Engineer Patrick Ginnetti’s office has made great use of the program, having received more than $2 million in grants and loans in the last funding cycle.

In addition to Boardman’s $225,000 for 2025, Springfield, Beaver and Poland Townships each received $75,000, Youngstown received $500,000, Campbell received $150,000, Canfield city received $127,000 and Austintown received $224,000.

At March’s regular trustees meeting, Austintown accepted eight bids for a project that will pave roughly three dozen roads this summer in the Wickliffe, Nottingham and Woodhurst neighborhoods. The Issue 2 funding will save the township roughly a quarter of a million dollars. Bids for the project ranged between $1.27 million and $1.49 million.