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Ohio Municipal League email:
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FAX BULLETIN PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS BULLETIN TO YOUR COUNCIL, DEPARTMENT HEADS & STAFF HB 483 Passes Out of Committee. As expected this week, a bill (HB 483)which establishes state collection of municipal corporate net profits income taxes from electric utility companies facing deregulation, passed out of the House Ways and Means Committee. The League testified against the bill. Though opposed, the League will continue to work on this bill to make it as technically sound as possible in case the General Assembly decides, in the end, to go in the wrong direction on this issue. Please, use the time between now and the next session of the legislature (February 15) to let your legislators, especially your House members, know that municipalities do not need the state's intrusion into the collection of the corporate municipal income tax for any industry. Nothing New on Annexation As mentioned before, the League and the Ohio Township Association met with legislative leaders in the Senate to outline our final unresolved issues that remain between the two parties on annexation legislation. We are now waiting for a response from those legislators on those deadlocked issues. Until then, there will be no new action on annexation legislation. HB 477 and OUPS Up For Hearings. Please note in the Hearing Schedule, that the Senate Ways and Means Committee has scheduled HB 477, which makes several changes to the municipal income tax in search of more uniformity, for a hearing (Sponsor testimony) this coming week. There is also a 4th Hearing in that same committee for opponents on SB 193, which would mandate all municipalities into a one-call system for underground utility excavation. That system, known by the acronym "OUPS," is a non-profit organization dominated by the investor-owned utility companies. We have heard complaints about this service from members. We are also concerned that companies, which in the budget bill supported an amendment that would wrest both the management and protection of the public from the cost of private incursion into the right-of-way, would now pass a bill that would mandate municipalities into a system in which those same companies virtually control the safety of the right-of-ways. Please, let us know if you would like to testify in opposition to this new utility company control of the right-of-way bill. We really need your involvement in this issue if we are to get our concerns heard on this matter. COMMITTEE HEARING SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF JANUARY 31 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 SENATE WAYS & MEANS, 1:30 p.m., South Hearing Rm., Chr. Blessing, Phone: 466-8068. HB 477 INCOME TAX AUTHORITY (Mottley) Modifies the authority of municipal corporations to impose income taxes. (1st Hearing) SB 234 SALES TAX EXEMPTION (Watts) Exempts from the sales tax sales to local posts of a veteran's organization. (2nd Hearing) SB 193 UTILITY EXCAVATIONS (Blessing) Provides for the establishment and operation of a single, statewide, one-call notification system as a means of preventing or minimizing damage to subsurface facilities as a result of excavations occurring in this state. (4th Hearing-Opponent) REQUEST FOR ORDINANCES The League is looking for ordinances that pertain to Gun-Storage or Weapons-Storage. If you have such an ordinance, could you please fax or send a copy to the League. Mark it to the attention of Ed Albright. The League's fax number is 614-221-4390. BEAR WITH US We are in the process of updating all the municipal officials mailing list, this is a long timely process, however, you can expedite this process by returning your updated municipal roster. We mailed these to your clerk or clerk of council the first of the year. You may mail it to the OML offices or fax to 614/221-4390. |
