Ohio legislators passed a bill this week that removes the requirement that local governments hire a certain percentage of local workers for public improvement projects.
The passing of House Bill 180 conflicts with laws in cities like Akron and Cleveland that require the hiring of local workers for publicly funded projects.
State Rep. Greta Johnson of Akron says the bill will have a negative impact on projects like Akron’s $1.4 billion water and sewer improvement plan.
“For Akron to have no control over who gets those jobs--it’s absurd," Johnson said.
"This is a project that city taxpayers are funding. So it should be Akron residents that they see on the streets working on this project. We should be able to have a seat at the table when we are in fact the ones who are paying the bill.”
Akron has a local hiring target of 30 percent for its water and sewer improvement project. The bill now heads to Gov. Kasich for his signature.
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