Yesterday, Governor DeWine delivered his annual State of the State address to a joint session of the Ohio General Assembly. Speaking before a crowd of legislators and members of the public, Governor DeWine pledged to continue making Ohio the best place in the nation to live, work, and raise a family. Learn more about the State of the State address or watch the speech on The Ohio Channel.
Governor DeWine’s executive budget proposal increases the share of total General Revenue Fund revenues that would go to the local government fund and the public library fund. This proposal would drive millions of more dollars to Ohio communities.
To learn more about the Governor’s executive budget proposal and its focus on investing in Ohioans, see my testimony to the Ohio House Finance Committee and the executive budget fact sheets.
Please contact us if you need help connecting to or navigating state resources.
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Township Safety Sign Grants
The Township Safety Sign Grant program can award up to $2 million annually to eligible Townships for safety signage materials.
Townships can apply now through June 6, 2025, to receive up to $50,000 in safety signs, posts, and hardware (all eligible signs, posts, and hardware must be listed on the application), with no funding out of pocket.
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Grant Opportunity to Support Local Violent Crime Reduction Initiatives
The Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) announced the availability of $4 million in grant funding to help local law enforcement agencies implement new violent crime reduction strategies in their communities. Funding awarded through the grant program can be used to create, implement, or expand proven or promising violent crime reduction initiatives to address adult or juvenile violent crime. Examples include place network investigations, focused deterrence, hot-spot policing, and crime gun intelligence centers. Grant recipients can also use funds for technology, equipment, training, technical assistance, analytical tools and support, and overtime costs for implementing crime reduction strategies. OCJS strongly encourages all potential applicants to review the webinar outlining a plan for reducing violent crime, Reducing Violent Crime: Strategies and Funding Opportunities for Law Enforcement. Additional evidence-based programs and practices are on the OCJS website. Agencies wishing to apply for this funding must be prepared with a strategy that fits their community’s needs before applying.
The Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant application is available via the OCJS website. The application deadline is March 19 at 5 p.m. For additional information, contact Bret Crow at (614) 769-4779 or via email at bacrow@dps.ohio.gov.
Start Preparing Now for the April 2025 ARPA Annual Project and Expenditure Reporting
The U.S. Treasury Portal will open April 1, 2025, for Project & Expenditure (P&E) Reports on State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) due April 30, 2025. All Non-Entitlement Units of local government (NEUs) that received funds must submit their annual report (April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025) during this reporting cycle even if funds have been completely expended. The U.S. Department of Treasury has posted updates and resources to assist in reporting, compliance, and troubleshooting. Visit the U.S. Treasury Department’s YouTube channel for videos that walk through common reporting questions and the Reporting and Compliance webpage for guidance documents and FAQs.
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Uniform Guidance Revisions: Whistleblower Protections
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget released an updated version of the Uniform Guidance, which became effective for new or amended awards on October 1, 2024. The revised Uniform Guidance does not provide sweeping changes; however, there are significant areas that those handling federal grants should be aware of and incorporate into their policies and procedures.
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This month, Ohio Connects focuses on the changes to language regarding whistleblower protections. 2 CFR 200.217 protects an employee of a recipient or subrecipient of federal funds from discrimination or retaliation for disclosing information that the employee reasonably believes is:
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Evidence of gross mismanagement of a federal contract or grant,
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A gross waste of federal funds,
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An abuse of authority relating to a federal contract or grant,
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A substantial and specific danger to public health or safety, or
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A violation of law, rule, or regulation related to a federal contract (including the competition for or negotiation of a contract) or grant.
The recent updates to this language now require the recipient of federal funds to inform their employees in writing of employee whistleblower rights and protections under 41 U.S.C. 4712.
See next month’s newsletter for another update on Uniform Guidance changes!
Federal Funding and Accountability Transparency Act (FFATA) Subaward Reporting Transition: FSRS.gov to SAM.gov
If your organization subawards federal funds and is required to report those subawards in the FSRS system, then be advised that effective March 8, 2025, subaward reporting moved from FSRS.gov to SAM.gov. Before the retirement of FSRS.gov, user accounts and data were transferred to SAM.gov. Users must have the correct role in SAM.gov to access the new subaward reporting capabilities. See Subaward Reporting on the SAM webpage for more information.
Below are additional resources to assist with this transition.
Recorded training sessions:
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User Roles: This video covers new roles and permissions and how to set up a SAM.gov account for your FSRS entity
Monthly Financial Report
Interested in the monthly report detailing state economic data, revenues, and expenditures? Scan this QR code to sign up to receive the OBM Monthly Financial Report.
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America - 250 Ohio Legacy Gift: White Oak Trees
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Trees are living history; planting trees honors Ohio's past while shaping the present and establishing our environmental future. To commemorate America's 250th birthday, America 250-Ohio is providing each Ohio county with a legacy gift of a native Ohio white oak tree.
Through this project called Heritage Trees: Planting History for America 250-Ohio, trees will be planted in every Ohio county in 2025 and 2026. Learn more about Heritage Trees and submit any questions to Heritagetrees@ohiohistory.org.
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