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No.10 April 23, 1999 PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS BULLETIN TO YOUR COUNCIL, DEPARTMENT HEADS & STAFF House and Senate Consider Estate Tax Changes The House Ways and Means Committee met Thursday of this week to hear for the first time Representative Pat Tiberi's sponsor testimony on HB 260, which would change the exemption level for Ohio's Estate Tax. Under terms of the legislation, Estates valued under $650,000 would be exempt from the Ohio Estate Tax. Estates valued from $650,000 to $3.6 million would receive a credit from the Federal Estate Tax, under Ohio law, but would still be subject to Ohio's current Estate Tax. The proposed reduction in Estate Tax rates would buffer losses to local government in Estate Tax revenues by reducing the share the state takes from that revenue source. Currently local governments (municipalities and townships) receive 64% of the Estate Tax revenue, based on the locale of the property taxed. The remaining 36% of the tax's revenue goes to the state. Under HB 260, local government's share of the Estate Tax would rise to 100%. Another plan (SB 108), sponsored by Senator Bob Latta, to reduce the Estate Tax was given its first hearing in the Senate Ways and Means Committee this week. Under that plan, the state would phase in an increased exemption from the State Estate Tax over a five-year period. Under that plan, the state's share of the Estate Tax would also be reduced in phases, with the local governments receiving 100% of the tax's revenue after January 1, 2004. Though it is always difficult to predict the progress of legislation, the specter of funding schools to the satisfaction of all Ohio courts may put a hold on measures, such as changes to the Estate and other taxes, until that call for increased school funding is satisfied in some fashion. DEREG Continues as Active Issue Both the House Public Utility Committee and the Senate Ways and Means Committee held hearings this week on the deregulation of the electric industry. Several Cuyahoga County municipal officials gave their views to the Senate Ways and Means Committee on aspects of this important issue. It is reported that the Senate may try to vote out a version of deregulation by the early part of May.
First Hearing on Public Works Alternates A first hearing in the House on SB 31 (Latta) was held in the House Townships and Local Government Committee this week. Under the provisions of the bill, District Integrating Committee appointments for the Ohio Public Works Commission program (Issue 2) would be backed up by the election or appointment, depending on the selection process indicated by law, of alternates. Under the current provisions of the bill, selecting such alternates is mandatory. This feature caused some concern on the part of some folks who are involved in the program at the local level. In response to that, the League met with several of the interested parties, OPWC staff and the sponsor's office to discuss this issue. What we will recommend to the committee is that SB 31 be amended to put in place a means to appoint alternates, but to make that process optional for all groups or individuals appointing or electing representatives to the District Integrating Committees. The option to appoint or not appoint an alternate would be placed with the appointing authority, not with the individual appointed or elected by a group. This would also be a group-by-group decision, not a district-by-district decision. SENATE COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF APRIL 26, 1999 TUESDAY, APRIL 27 SENATE FINANCE & FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, 10 a.m. & After session, Finance Hearing Rm. HB 185 COUNTY BUDGET COMMISSIONS (Myers) Requires that alternative apportionment of the undivided local government fund and undivided local government revenue assistance fund by a county budget commission be subject to approval of the legislative authority of the city having the greatest population residing in the county. (1st Hearing) SENATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TECHNOLOGY & AEROSPACE, 10:30 a.m., South Hearing Rm SB 116 Y2K FUNDS (Armbruster) Creates a $20 million state grant program that will provide funding to local governments to cope with Year 2000 computer problems and makes an appropriation. (2nd Hearing) SENATE WAYS & MEANS, After Session, South Hearing Rm. SB 3 ELECTRIC DEREGULATION (Johnson) Declares that the public policy of the State of Ohio is to effect the restructuring of the electric industry pursuant to specified goals permitting effective competition in the provision of retail electric service to all Ohio consumers. (6th Hearing - Stranded costs) HOUSE CRIMINAL JUSTICE, 3 p.m., Rm. 114 HB 288 SET-ASIDE CONTRACTS (Williams) Changes the term "minority business enterprise" to "challenged business enterprise" for purposes of the laws governing public contract set asides, minority business development loans, and minority business bonds and makes other changes. (1st Hearing) WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28 OHIO RETIREMENT STUDY COUNCIL, 8:30 a.m., Rm. 017 A discussion of internal audit controls of PERS and SERS. SENATE FINANCE & FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, 9 a.m. & After session, Finance Hearing Rm. HB 185 COUNTY BUDGET COMMISSIONS (Myers) Requires that alternative apportionment of the undivided local government fund and undivided local government revenue assistance fund by a county budget commission be subject to approval of the legislative authority of the city having the greatest population residing in the county. (2nd Hearing - Possible vote) SENATE JUDICIARY, 9 a.m., North Hearing Rm. SB 122 SET-ASIDE CONTRACTS (Watts) Changes the term "minority business enterprise" to "challenged business enterprise" for purposes of the laws governing public contract set asides, minority business development loans, and minority business bonds and makes other changes. (1st Hearing) HB 205 TORT IMMUNITY (Corbin) Amends the definition of "governmental function" in the political subdivision tort immunity law to include the operation of all types of aquatic facilities. (1st Hearing) HOUSE HEALTH, RETIREMENT & AGING, 9:30 a.m., Rm. 017 HB 199 ALTERNATIVE PUBLIC PENSION (Cates) Creates an alternative retirement program for public employees covered by Ohio's state retirement systems. (5th Hearing) HOUSE CIVIL & COMMERCIAL LAW, 10:30 a.m., Rm. 121 HB 95 PUBLIC RECORDS (Terwilleger) Awards reasonable expenses to the relator if a writ of mandamus is issued in a taxpayer's suit and authorizes a similar award plus court costs to a prevailing aggrieved person in a mandamus action under the Public Records Law. (5th Hearing - Possible vote) HOUSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT & TOWNSHIPS, 4 p.m., Rm. 121 HB 267 FARMLAND PRESERVATION (Krebs) Requires the Director of Agriculture to be notified when land in an agricultural security area is to be appropriated by eminent domain and makes other changes. (2nd Hearing) SB 31 PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEES (Latta) Requires the appointing authorities that appoint members of district public works integrating committees to appoint alternates for those members to act in their absence. (3rd Hearing) SENATE STATE & LOCAL GOVT. & VETERAN'S AFFAIRS, 5 p.m., South Hearing Rm., HB 187 TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT (Olman) Refers to townships that have adopted the limited self-government form of township government as "limited home rule government" townships and makes other changes. (1st Hearing) THURSDAY, APRIL 29 HOUSE HEALTH, RETIREMENT & AGING SUB. RETIREMENT, 9 a.m., Rm. 116 HB 275 PFDPF BENEFITS (Vesper) Increases benefits paid to surviving spouses of PFDPF members and makes other changes. (2nd Hearing) HB 15 RETIREMENT SERVICE CREDIT (Mottley) Allows a member of PERS, SERS, STRS to purchase by payroll deduction service credit for certain prior service covered by one of the other systems. (4th Hearing) HOUSE ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT, 9 a.m., Rm. 114 HB 197 SLUDGE DISPOSAL (Krebs) Authorizes the Director of Environmental Protection to issue permits for the use, storage, treatment, or disposal of sludge and sludge materials, imposes an annual sludge fee, and otherwise regulates sludge and sludge materials. (4th Hearing - Possible vote) SENATE WAYS & MEANS, 9 a.m., South Hearing Rm. SB 3 ELECTRIC DEREGULATION (Johnson) Declares that the public policy of the State of Ohio is to effect the restructuring of the electric industry pursuant to specified goals permitting effective competition in the provision of retail electric service to all Ohio consumers. (7th Hearing - Stranded costs & open testimony) |
