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After just a handful of years in production, Ohio’s Utica shale is supporting initiatives at every level of the state’s government.  From maintaining local municipal roads, increasing sales tax revenues, and bolstering county and school budgets; millions upon millions of the dollars generated from oil and gas development are being poured back into the state.

This week, the Akron Beacon Journal reported that the state has collected an additional $18 million from the oil and gas severance tax alone.  This is a 752 percent increase in just the last five years.  During this period, the largest jump in tax receipts was realized from FY2014 to FY2015, when revenues increased 261 percent, a 65 percent gain in just one year. Interestingly enough, even some of Ohio’s staunchest anti-fracking activists were taken aback by this news. Teresa Mills, spokeswoman for the based Center for Health, Environment and Justice, responded to the reported increase in tax revenue by saying:

 “Wow! That’s pretty amazing…I know there are more wells on line and producing more, but that severance tax total is still shocking. … It’s not disturbing but it is just really surprising.”

What’s also “pretty amazing” is the combination of increased severance tax  revenue  and other taxes  generated from shale development. For example, last year EID reported that three counties alone – Carroll, Columbiana, and Harrison – have collectively brought in over $10 million in new taxes over the past few years.  At the same time, the View Full Article