Dear Township Officials:

Please find below legislative activity that has taken place so far this week.  You will likely get an update tomorrow or Friday as well.

HB 458 USE OF TOWNSHIP FUNDS  (Uecker)   To authorize the taxing authority of a subdivision to use general fund money derived from inside millage for current expenses for road and bridge construction and repair, and to make clarifying changes to the laws authorizing a township to provide health care insurance.

This bill was referred to Senate Ways and Means Committee.  Please call Chairman Amstutz and committee members to express your support for this bill.  A link for all committee members may be found at http://www.senate.state.oh.us/committees/com_ways.html

HB 562 CAPITAL BUDGET / BUDGET CORRECTION
The General Assembly is working to pass the capital budget bill prior to the legislature going home for summer and campaign recess.  This bill has passed the House and the Senate Finance & Financial Institutions Committee yesterday.  While in the Senate committee, several major changes were made to the bill.  The bill still must pass the full Senate and the changes need to be concurred on by the House or the bill will go to Conference Committee.  Please watch for additional alerts on this bill and for articles in upcoming OTA publications.

The Senate made the following changes pertaining to township government:
        -  REMOVED language creating the Local Government Reform and Collaboration Commission;
        -  ALTERED language clarifying that only a publicly owned solid waste facility, solid waste transfer facility and construction and demolition debris facility are not public utilities as used in ORC Chapter 519;

        - REMOVED language permitting fire departments in townships with a population less than 5,000 in the unincorporated territory but services a population greater than 5,000 in both the unincorporated and incorporated territory to bargain collectively with the board of township trustees (current law excludes townships with a population less than 5,000);

        - INCLUDED language that makes the regulation of wind farms fall under the Power Siting Board if the wind farm is 5mw or greater and townships/counties would have the ability to zone wind farms smaller than 5mw; and

        - INCLUDED language that would alter the fees for recording township zoning resolutions and amendments to $50 from $100 the fee for zoning resolutions and makes a flat $20 fee for the recording of all zoning amendments regardless of length.

Again, HB 562 still must be adopted by the full Senate and concurred on by the House.  This bill quite possibly could still change.  Please watch for additional alerts or articles in OTA publications.

Sincerely,

Heidi M. Fought
Director of Governmental Affairs
Ohio Township Association
6500 Taylor Road, Suite A
Blacklick, OH  43004
(614) 863-0045
(614) 863-9751 - Fax