Written Opponent Testimony — Coalition of Mayors in Ohio's Largest Cities, on House Bill 307 (October 8, 2025)

Summary

Written opponent testimony on House Bill 307 dated October 8, 2025 to the House Development Committee, submitted by a bipartisan coalition of mayors in Ohio's largest cities. The testimony states that it is not written to oppose the substance of the bill but to express concern about its cost to Ohio cities and a need for funding assistance to local governments. It states that many cities have already dedicated American Rescue Plan and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds to replacing lead lines. It cites the LSC fiscal note estimate of costs at over $16 billion over the next 15 years and urges the committee to dedicate state money to the program.

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                                 HOUSE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
                          WRITTEN OPPONENT TESTIMONY ON HOUSE BILL 307
                                         October 8, 2025

Chair Hoops, Vice Chair Lorenz, Ranking Member Brownlee, and members of the House Development
Committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit written opponent testimony today on House Bill
307. As a bipartisan coalition of mayors in Ohio’s largest cities, we write today not to oppose the
substance of this bill, but to express our urgent concern that this bill will cost Ohio cities $16 billion and
requires funding assistance to help local governments enact it.

The dangers of lead pipes are well known, and we are thankful to Representatives Jarrells and Robb
Blasdel for their advocacy on this issue. Our mayors share the representatives’ desire to ensure that no
more Ohio children suffer the lifelong impacts of lead poisoning.

That said, replacing lead lines is very expensive. Many of our cities have already dedicated American
Rescue Plan and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds to replacing lead lines. As that money runs out,
though, and as our federal government partners continue to pull back on both future and already
awarded funding commitments, we urge caution with regard to ensuring that HB 307’s financial
assistance program for low or moderate income Ohioans comes with state funding assistance to ensure
that all local governments can make the financial and resource investments required by the bill.

Especially in many of Ohio’s older core cities, infrastructure funding, even when it is robust, is not
enough. Unfortunately, the cities and villages that are likely to have the most lead pipes are, in many
cases, also the least likely to have growing revenue sources to assist with the financial costs of a 15 year
lead replacement program. The LSC fiscal note for this bill estimates its costs at over $16 billion over
the next 15 years. Local governments simply cannot raise this money by raising water and sewer rates
on residents.

For that reason, we urge you to dedicate state money to the costs of this program as you evaluate HB
307. We share the desire to remove and replace lead pipes in all of our cities as quickly as possible, but
an unfunded mandate that costs Ohioans billions of dollars is not the best way to achieve this outcome.

Thank you for your attention to this issue, and for your ongoing collaboration with our cities.


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