Governor Kasich expressed concern that settling lawsuits over flooding around Grand Lake St. Marys could limit the amount of funds available to restore the lake.
Kasich, speaking before he addressed a crowd at the Auglaize County Republican Women’s Lincoln/Reagan Dinner, said the state has kept its word to address the algae issues at the lake and hoped the lawsuits weren’t a “money grab” from property owners.
“Those lawsuits could take money away from the treatment of the lake, because there’s only so many dollars to go to these facilities. So I hope these lawsuits are going to work their way out. Instead of putting money in people’s pockets that lived near a lake that from time to time may have seen some flooding on their land, and maybe not extensive, I’d rather put the money into fixing the lake,” Kasich said.
The Ohio Supreme Court has ordered the Department of Natural Resources to compensate 87 landowners near Grand Lake for losses from flooding near the 20-square-mile lake.