On June 15, Gov. Mike DeWine signed Ohio’s 2027-2028 capital budget bill into law, awarding Portage County $32,007,287 for community projects and higher education institutions’ renovations, according to the budget.
Over 87% of that money will go to Kent State for building upkeep and other capital projects.
Overall, about $3.7 billion were awarded to projects and organizations across the state. Ali Smith, a senior project coordinator at Ohio Policy Matters, said that when adjusted for inflation, the budget is on par with past ones.
She emphasized that Portage County is a “really good snapshot of the overall capital budget, trying to really put money where people are actually going to see it.”
The state capital budget differs from the operating budget, as the operating budget funds items like childcare affordability, healthcare access and funding for public schools. The capital budget tends to fund long-term investments, while the operating one funds day-to-day expenses.
Kent State University
The budget awarded over $450 million to universities and colleges, with Kent State University receiving $28 million for renovation projects.
“Those universities and institutes of higher learning offer tons of community benefits, like they’ll work with high school students sometimes and do high school programming or offer their theater programs and music programs accessible to the community,” Smith said.
In the 2025-2026 budget, Kent State received $30.3 million to begin updates on White Hall, modernize its library’s elevators, work on critical deferred upgrades and enhance the internet technology network throughout campus.
The recent budget sees the university receiving $12 million for the White Hall project, $7 million for elevator modernization, about $4.8 million for deferred upgrades and about $3.6 million for network enhancements.
In addition, the university was granted $1,193,354 for HVAC replacement in Stewart Hall.
According to a Kent State press release, White Hall will be entering its third phase of renovations, which entails equipping classrooms with variable air volume HVAC systems meant to create quieter learning spaces.
Safer Futures
Among the community projects that were awarded funding in the budget was Safer Futures, one of Axess Family Services’ programs that provides support services like housing for victims of domestic violence.
Understanding how state funding can aid nonprofits, Mark Frisone, executive director of Axess Family Services, decided to apply to the capital budget with hopes of building a new Safer Futures’ headquarters.
“The current Safer Futures was the first stick of real estate we ever purchased in Portage County,” he said. “I remember the day that we bought and renovated what’s now the current Safer Futures — it’s probably been at least 30 years ago — and we thought we had died and went to heaven.”
Prior to moving to Kent, Safer Futures located in Ravenna out of a small duplex equipped to house two individuals on one side and staff on the other.
In recent decades, the organization has noticed an increase in individuals seeking aid, making a new facility critical to its operations. Through the state award of $150,000, Safer Futures is a step closer to creating its new building.
In addition, the organization submitted a million-dollar federal home loan bank application.
Frisone credited state Rep. Heidi Workman and former state Rep. Gail Pavliga for helping Axess receive funding from the budget twice. (Axess received funding for a facility in Ravenna under its former, pre-merger name in the 2025-2026 budget.)
“All thanks, it goes out to representative Heidi Workman who worked her magic in Columbus to make this capital award a reality,” he said. “I mean it simply wouldn’t have happened without her efforts in Columbus advocating for our project.”
Axess is still in the early stages of designing the new facility and choosing its location. However, Frisone said he wants it to have a playground, as a number of families with children often come to Safer Futures.
“In these situations, you can’t take your kid down to city park. It’s because a lot of times, these women have stalkers that are kind of looking, cruising around, looking for them,” he said. “They have bad actors in their life that are out to cause harm, and so it’s important that we keep everybody at Safer Futures as secure as we possibly can.”
Community projects
Another project being aided through state funding is the Streetsboro City Center Park Playground, which received $100,000.
In an email, Samantha Edgar, director of parks and recreation for Streetsboro, said the funding helped the city afford a park designed for children of all abilities.
The new park will include a ramped play structure, American Sign Language and communications panels, an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant zip line and swings and sensory-rich, ground-level play events.
Edgar emphasized how costs add up for these features and the playground’s rubber surface, making funding critical to bringing the playground to life.
“Fortunately, through the collaborative efforts and support of Senator (Kristina) Roegner, Representative (Steve) Demetriou and Mayor (Glenn) Broska, the city was awarded state funding to help bring this vision to life,” she said. “Their dedication and commitment to our community will help create a playground where children of all abilities can play, explore and connect, making it a lasting asset for Streetsboro families for years to come.”
Groundbreaking for the project will occur in early August, as the city eyes an early fall completion.
Rootstown Community Park and Playground was also granted $23,000 to build new pickleball and basketball courts at the park, Rootstown Township Trustee Joe Paulus shared in an email.
The township initially petitioned for $400,000 to create sidewalks and crosswalks on state Route 44 from Tallmadge Road toward I-76, as well as $113,906.25 to replace the old playground surface at the park, according to Paulus.
“Our Community Park has been improved on by mostly grant money, donated materials and donated work over the past six years,” he said. “We have had Eagle Scout projects and business employee beautification work days, as well. The folks at Gracie Fields, which abuts the Community Park, have been vital partners in this symbiotic relationship.”
Other projects and organizations that received funding include:
- Portage County Fairgrounds was awarded $300,000 for improvements.
- Garrettsville’s Curtains Up Theatre Project received $225,000.
- Aurora Park was granted $1 million for improvements.
- Freedom Township Community Park received $121,000 for improvements.
- Shalersville Township Park was awarded $50,000 for enhancements.
- Northeast Ohio Medical University received about $1.5 million for renovation projects.
Looking ahead
For other projects and organizations seeking state funding, Smith encourages them to begin preparing to apply for the 2029-2030 budget.
“So, I would say think about what great things in your community would you want this money to be spent on and then advocate for that, make a call, send an email — I think that’s definitely worth the time,” she said.
Because Ohio will elect a new governor in November, she anticipates the operating budget will be signed into law in March 2027.
“The legislators demonstrated through the capital budget that they can work together and make some good decisions for our communities and make sure Ohioans in rural, suburban and urban counties all benefit,” Smith said. “We want to see them take that same kind of ethic into the main operating budget.”