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State Sen. Michelle Reynolds urges Reynoldsburg to apply for 2026 capital budget grants
Summary
State Sen. Michelle Reynolds told the Reynoldsburg City Council that Franklin County can expect $15–20 million from Ohio's 2026 capital budget for community projects; she encouraged coordinated local applications and said the application is due March 12.
State Sen. Michelle Reynolds visited the Reynoldsburg City Council on Feb. 9 to brief city officials and residents on opportunities in the Ohio 2026 capital budget. Reynolds told the council Franklin County is likely to receive about $15 million to $20 million for community projects and urged the city to submit coordinated proposals to improve chances of full funding.
"The eligible projects that we're looking to fund are generally around mental health," Reynolds said, listing categories that qualify for the community-project portion of the capital budget, including opioid and addiction-treatment programs, detox centers, domestic violence shelters, YMCAs/YWCAs, parks and recreation upgrades (trails, splash pads, playgrounds), and cultural or historic facilities. She said larger state facility spending (schools, prisons, state parks) is handled in other parts of the capital budget and that transportation (roads and bridges) is typically funded through the transportation budget rather than this community-project allocation.
Reynolds advised submitting projects to both her office and to state Rep. Meredith Lawson Rowe when possible, saying coordinated district submissions "betters your chance to get your full allocation" rather than having competing requests that dilute funding. She also noted that, historically, the state often prefers to be the "last dollar" in a project's funding package and generally does not fund more than about 50% of a project's cost.
On application size, Reynolds said this year's capital funds are tighter than in the prior session and recommended avoiding requests of $1 million as a single ask; projects in the $250,000-to-under-$1,000,000 range typically draw serious consideration, though she cautioned that actual awards depend on project scope and ranking.
Reynolds provided a March 12 application deadline and invited prospective applicants to contact her office for questions. She also recommended engaging regional partners such as the Columbus Partnership to strengthen regional alignment of proposals.
The senator's visit included a short question-and-answer period in which residents and council members asked about specific local projects (splash pads, park upgrades, and pantry support) and whether state funds could be applied; Reynolds reiterated eligibility differences between capital/community projects and the transportation budget and recommended that the mayor and council coordinate on submissions.
The council did not take formal action on any funding requests at the Feb. 9 meeting; Reynolds's remarks were presented as informational and an invitation to pursue applications.
