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Architects and landscape architects boards ask for modest biennial funding to maintain operations
Summary
The Ohio Architects Board and Ohio Landscape Architects Board, which operate under a shared budget and staff, told the Senate committee they are self-supported by fees, license nearly 20,000 professionals and seek approximately $674,000 and $690,000 for FY26–27 to sustain operations and IT/administrative needs.
The Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee received testimony from the executive director of the Ohio Architects Board and the Ohio Landscape Architects Board during the Sub. H.B. 96 operating-budget hearing.
Shannon Himes, executive director for both boards, told the committee the boards operate under a single administrative budget and are entirely fee-funded. "So the boards have demonstrated track records of ensuring excellent level customer service and we regularly seek to reduce costs and enhance our operational efficiencies," Himes said.
Himes described the boards' duties: issuing and renewing licenses, monitoring continuing-education compliance, investigating complaints and enforcing professional rules. She said the boards license roughly 10,000 architects and nearly 10,000 landscape architects and firms, and that fees have been largely unchanged for about 20 years.
For the biennium Himes said the boards propose $674,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $690,000 for fiscal year 2027, which she described as roughly a 1% and 3% increase over estimated FY25 operating costs. Himes told the committee the modest increases will support license processing, investigations, enforcement, efficiency reviews and public education.
Himes also said the boards have streamlined reciprocal licensure with national councils, averaging one day for reciprocal approvals, and reimburse internship program fees for student architects to reduce early-career financial barriers. She noted the boards receive consolidated administrative support from the Central Services Agency (OBM) and shared IT services from OIT and that they do not use the state General Revenue Fund.
Committee members did not pose questions during the transcript excerpted for this hearing. The boards asked the committee to approve their requested appropriation levels.
