GAO: Stimulus dollars flowing in Ohio - Business First of Columbus:

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The in a bimonthly snapshot of stimulus spendinv in Ohio released Wednesday shows progress is beinhg made in a number of key funding Several state and local government officials in Central Ohio have Columbu s Business First that the federal cash is beinvg deliveredas promised. The report, however, pointed to troubles on trackinvg the impact of recoveryt funds as some agencies saythey aren’ty receiving “clear federal guidance.” That’sz being remedied by working off of existinhg federal program guidance on job creation though some agencies, the report are waiting for more help on how to measure the impact of the stimulus plan. Ohio was cleared for about $8.
9 billion in stimulus dollars inthe $787 billion packagw that President Obama signed in February. • Near the end of the state had drawn downabout $711 milliojn in increased Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage awards, a move made to offsey Ohio’s budget shortfall and continue a flow of services. GAO said the stimulud funding has allowed Ohio to continue expanding Medicaixd funding to an expande d population that includespregnant women, children under fostedr care and disabled Ohioans returninh to work. • The office reported that as ofJune 25, Ohio had obligated $384 million of the nearly $936 millio in highway infrastructure stimulus dollars funnelexd through the .
Obligation is defines as the federal government committing to its funding sharw ofa project. The GAO said the stater expects all but one of its projects earmarked for highwayu stimulus funding will be done withijnthree years. Among the more than 200 projects identified are major infrastructure improvements nearand . The federal Weatherization Stimulus which will bring Ohionearly $267 milliomn in stimulus funding, has sparked plans to begim work this month on weatherizing about 32,000 units. The stat has been cleared for half of that cash and had obligatesdabout $20 million as of June 18. The office in its repor t also pointed to what it callesd an early success of thestimulus Gov.
Ted Strickland in December 2008 orderedabout $640 million cut from the state’sz budget but cuts were less than they coul d have been because of the expectationh of stimulus dollars. The report said that stimulusd funds have playeda “significant role” in balancing the budge for the two-year cycle begun last Wednesday. But finalization of the budgeg is tied up as Strickland and Senate Republicans remaijn at odds over closinga $3.
2 billiobn budget gap with revenue from video slot machinesa at horse racing The report also reiterated the concernsx of some state officials on what will happen when stimulus funding isn’r available in the two-year cycle beginning in July 2011. “State budget official said that if the economy does not improvre and revenues do not all options will be on the table for discussion and thereport said. Click to downloafd the full report.