Ohio Capital Budget Delivers Over $3.4 Million to Richland County Projects as Part of $5.9 Million for Three-County District

Ten Richland County projects will share approximately $3.47 million in state capital funding after Gov. Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 450 on June 15, making the state's $3.7 billion infrastructure budget for fiscal years 2027–28 immediately available under an emergency clause.

The two-year package — backed by about $3.43 billion in General Revenue Fund-supported bonds and roughly $263 million from other sources including federal funds — finances construction, renovation, land acquisition, equipment and community projects across all 88 Ohio counties. The Ohio House passed the bill 93–2 after the Senate approved it unanimously.

Local projects and who championed them

State Sen. Mark Romanchuk secured $5,881,500 in the bill for community projects across Senate District 22, which covers Richland, Ashland and Medina counties.

"I look forward to seeing the positive effect these investments will have on the lives of citizens in Richland, Ashland, and Medina Counties," Romanchuk said.

The largest local award — $1 million — goes to the Mansfield Playhouse to help build a new ADA-compliant facility next to its current East Third Street home. The Playhouse has revised its capital campaign goal from $7.5 million to $5.5 million and has raised about $3.2 million so far toward construction.

The remaining Richland County allocations:

• Mansfield Theater "Road to 100" renovation — $500,000
• Lexington Depot Park and Trailhead — $425,000
• Richland Academy of Arts renovation and modernization — $350,000
• Shelby Health & Wellness renovation — $350,000
• Wayfinders Ohio Emergency Homeless Shelter — $250,000
• Richland County Shelter renovation — $217,235
• Mansfield Millsboro Road Trail — $200,000
• Mansfield Domestic Violence Shelter Child Advocacy Center renovation — $100,000
• Mansfield Art Center accessibility project — $75,000

Where the rest of the money goes

Ohio's capital budget is one of the state's five main budgets and finances brick-and-mortar projects through state bonds; eligible projects should generally serve a public use, be physical in nature and include local matching funds.

Statewide, the bill directs $600 million to school construction and renovation, $500 million to the State Capital Improvements Program, and $208 million to 815 community projects. It also funds modernization at 76 state parks, support for more than 50 historical sites and museums, and $400 million in behavioral health–related capital work — including a new state hospital in Dayton and major renovations at Northwest Ohio Behavioral Healthcare in Toledo.

How the process works — and what comes next

The capital budget runs on a two-year cycle, typically enacted in even-numbered years. Local governments and nonprofits submit project proposals to their state legislators, who forward supported requests to their chamber's finance leadership for review and inclusion in the bill. For this cycle, community groups were instructed to submit proposals by March 12, 2026, with lawmakers forwarding their picks to finance committees by March 26.

The next capital budget cycle would likely begin in late summer 2027, with formal work starting around late 2027 or early 2028 — meaning Richland County organizations and local officials eyeing state dollars for future projects have roughly a year to develop proposals and line up matching funds.