Ohio Municipal League
175 South Third Street
Suite 510
Columbus, Ohio 43215

614-221-4349 Office
614-221-4390 Fax

email:
Legislative Inquiries
John Mahoney
General Inquiries
info@omunileague.org

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OML E- BULLETIN
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Few Municipal Bills on Committee Calendar.

Though sessions have begun again in the Ohio General Assembly, the schedule of bills of municipal interest is fairly light.

On Wednesday of next week (After Session, Rm. 018), the House Ways and Means Committee will hear HB 483, which would create centralized state collection of the municipal "corporate net profits tax" on electric utilities when those companies become eligible to pay that tax under the new state system of electric deregulation. The hearing is being held to introduce a substitute version of that bill, including some amendments offered by the League. The Chair and sponsor of the bill, Representative Don Mottley, has stated he would like to move the bill out of committee by the end of January. The League does not believe such centralized collection is necessary and is opposed to the bill.

Annexation Activity Continues.

The League and the Ohio Township Association will meet this week with Senators Cupp and Johnson to discuss progress and continuing points of disagreements that are the result of ongoing discussions between the two groups on the issue of annexation.

We will keep you informed on any results of that meeting or other activities about this issue.

Clarification about the National Association of Cities.

The National Association of Cities is a group out of Louisiana that apparently has solicited a number of cities in Ohio and other states for membership. We want to make it clear that the National Association of Cities is not affiliated in any way with the Ohio Municipal League, any other state municipal league, or our national association, the National League of Cities.

HB 477 Scheduled for House Floor Vote.

HB 477, which would make numerous changes in the law regarding municipal income taxes, is scheduled for a House floor vote on Tuesday. The League supports HB 477, though we still have a number of concerns about the bill which we are still discussing with the sponsor and other parties interested in this bill.

We expect one of those changes to be addressed during the House debate by an sponsor's amendment. The amendment would obviate the questions raised by many parties, both municipal and non-municipal, about the wisdom of including a "withholding" definition in the bill. Currently the bill contains the "Medicaid" base as the base for withholding municipal income taxes. The amendment would, if successful, delete that provision of the bill. Thus there would not be a definition of either what is taxable or when to withhold under provisions of the bill. Given the doubts and concerns raised about this provision, we support this amendment to the bill.