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COLUMBUS — Toledo lawmakers yesterday hoped for swift passage as they introduced a bill that would grant the state’s blessing on the marriage of the University of Toledo and the Medical University of Ohio.

The merger is set for July 1, but the process of fully integrating the schools into one will be anything but swift. It will take until July 2, 2014, before the two boards of trustees are whittled down to a single, nine-member board.

The 68-page bill includes no transitional money for the merger, saving that issue for later budget debates. The two universities initially estimated the price tag to integrate technical systems, realign staffs, relocate programs, and other one-time costs at $20 million.

The bill’s sponsors, Reps. Mark Wagoner (R., Ottawa Hills) and Peter Ujvagi (D., Toledo), said the appropriation is more likely to be between $3 million and $5 million.

“The amount of money available would affect the quickness with which we could do the integration,” said Dr. Lloyd Jacobs, president of MUO and soon to be the new president of the combined schools.

“There will be pain, but I believe that this reasonable range of money available would still be OK for this thing to move forward,” he said.

The first hearing on the bill is scheduled for Tuesday.

“This will create the third-largest budget university in Ohio with an approximately $650 million budget to start with and a research base of approximately $80 million,” Ohio Regent James M. Tuschman of Toledo told his fellow regents yesterday. Regents gave their approval last month.

Ujvagi

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House Speaker Jon Husted (R., Kettering) characterized the marriage of UT and MUO as a first. “We’re going to have to combine our resources in higher education and skills if we want to be world class,” Mr. Husted said. “We don’t want to be average. ... Every dollar we can save administratively can be directed toward students, improving their education.”

Under the bill, the new board of trustees as of July 1 would consist of 17 members — the eight trustees on the two existing governing boards, and one member to be named by Gov. Bob Taft.

For every two members whose terms would expire July 1 of each subsequent year, Mr. Taft’s successors would appoint one replacement for a full nine-year term.

“This would ensure that trustees are afforded the opportunity to finish their terms, but it would also make sure that new people are coming on each year with new ideas,” Mr. Wagoner said.

Mr. Ujvagi said the issue is more one of cooperation rather than size, although the merger could open doors to research grants that neither university could have pursued before.

“This would strengthen northwest Ohio’s research credibility and would help to develop a technology corridor with a high-tech focus for Toledo and Lucas County,” Mr. Ujvagi said.

Rep. Chris Redfern (D., Catawba Island), new chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, said he will not try to use the merger bill as a vehicle for his proposal to prohibit the governor from appointing campaign contributors as trustees. “This has taken a great deal of leadership on the part of both universities,” Mr. Redfern said. “In this case, we need to move forward as quickly as possible so we can contain the costs of students trying to attend those fine schools.”

Contact Jim Provance at: jprovance@theblade.com or 614-221-0496.

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