Title: Urging the U. S. Congress to Pass H.R. 6422- National Infrastructure Bank Act of 2020, Creating a National Infrastructure Bank to Finance Urgently Needed Infrastructure Projects

Department/Agency: Commissioners

Contact: Benjamin Pushka, Executive Assistant to Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak  

Summary/Background: The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave the United States a cumulative grade of D+ across 16 categories in its 2017 Report Card regarding the current state of the country's infrastructure and estimated that more than $4.5 trillion is needed to bring the current infrastructure to a state of good repair. Public spending on infrastructure has dropped by 8 percent over the past 15 years.

The ASCE Report Card also gave Ohio a low grade for the current state of its infrastructure and estimates Ohio will need to invest at least $12 billion dollars to upgrade drinking water systems and $14 billion to upgrade wastewater systems. The ASCE report indicates that nearly 7 percent of the state's bridges are rated structurally deficient. Driving on roads in poor repair costs each driver $545 annually.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has severely impacted the economy, causing millions of people to be temporarily or permanently unemployed creating shortages of hospital beds, equipment, and machinery across all sectors of the national economy. A new National Infrastructure Bank (NIB) would provide direct loans and other financing of up to $4 million for qualifying infrastructure projects in all parts of the country, including health care infrastructure needed to address the current public health emergency.

Budget Impact: None

Statutory Authority/ORC: N/A

Commissioner Byers offered the following resolution:

WHEREAS, in consideration of the above, NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners, Lucas County, Ohio, that:

Section 1. The Board strongly urges the U.S. Congress to Pass H.R. 6422- National Infrastructure Bank Act of 2020, creating a National Infrastructure Bank to finance urgently needed infrastructure projects.

Section 2_ This Board finds and determines that all formal actions of this Board concerning and relating to the adoption of this resolution were taken in an open meeting of this Board and that all deliberations of this Board that resulted in those formal actions were in meeting open to the public in compliance with the law.

November 17, 2020

Urging the U. S. Congress to Pass H.R. 6422- National Infrastructure Bank Act of 2020, Creating a National Infrastructure Bank to Finance Urgently Needed Infrastructure Projects

Section 3. This resolution shall be in full force and effect from and immediately upon its adoption. Action Taken:

Commissioner Byers voted yes 

Commissioner Gerken voted yes

Commissioner Skeldon Wozniak voted yes

Jody L. Balogh, Clerk