May 11, 2001

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Ohio Municipal League
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OML E- BULLETIN
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No. 12 May 11, 2001

PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS BULLETIN TO YOUR COUNCIL, DEPARTMENT HEADS & STAFF

Senate Considering State Budget.

The Ohio Senate continued its work on the state's $45 billion biennial budget this week. Extensive hearings on the bill are to continue next week, as the Senate tries to prepare its version of the budget for a conference committee of the two houses by the end of the month. Though there are a number of issues in the budget of interest for municipalities, we hope you will make the freeze on local government funds your first priority in talking to your members of the Senate about the budget. Key members of the Senate have indicated that they would like to find a way to dampen some of the effects of that freeze, at least for the final six months of this calendar year. Projected LGF dollars for those six months were already included in local government budgets adopted earlier this year and imposing the freeze in the middle of those budgets will throw many of those budgets significantly out of balance.

Another provision of the House-passed budget that we hope you keep in mind in communications with your Senators is a study of transportation revenues for local government. A Legislative Services Commission study in the last biennium made it clear that without some change in Ohio's highway revenues we will continue to fall behind in meeting Ohio's local government infrastructure needs. This study may help develop the right mix of revenue recommendations needed to finance the local government street and bridge funding gap.

The League is also concerned that the House may have cut back a bit too much on the Ohio EPA budget. EPA had asked for additional staff to deal with the new brownfield projects stemming from the availability of State Issue 1 money. The House cut that request and we would hope the Senate would find a way to restore at least some of that money. Otherwise, members may find that they have the money to complete projects, but are unable to get the necessary assistance and paperwork out of EPA to complete the project.

The House also eliminated the $3 million Indigent Burial program. This program pays funeral homes $750 to properly inter the remains of those without means. Without this program, the expense of such burials falls to the municipality or township in which the person dies. Obviously, we would like to see this program restored by the Senate.

Annexation Bill Heard.

SB 5 was heard in the House Local Government and Township Committee this week. The committee heard from both proponents and opponents at the hearing. We appreciate the municipal officials who came to voice their concerns about this bill.

The next hearing on this legislation will begin the process of committee members offering and voting on amendments to the bill. That process is not on the schedule of the committee this coming week.

Save a (Small) Tree. Get the Bulletin by E-mail.

For those of you who would like to get the Legislative Bulletin on Friday (instead of Monday or Tuesday by regular mail) by e-mail, we now are offering that alternative. If you would like to use this option, just e-mail us your e-mail address at omunileague2@copper.net. We will then take your name off the Bulletin mailing list and e-mail you the complete Bulletin on Friday morning.

League Testifies on Civil Service.

The League testified for a number of changes in state civil service law before the legislatively-created Civil Service Review Commission. The League testified that the civil service laws are a classic case of the "one size fits all" scheme that often becomes cumbersome and difficult to interpret at the local level. Among many issues, the League asked for a civil service code that was more flexible in its testing options and allowed for the hiring of police and fire chiefs from outside the ranks of the department. The League also asked the Commission to recommend a future commission that would also study the impacts of Ohio's Collective Bargaining Law that was enacted eighteen years ago.

Committee Hearings.

On Tuesday, after Session, the Senate Ways and Means Committee will have a first hearing (sponsor only) on HB 84. While the bill's primary thrust is to prevent pension "double-dipping" by elected officials, it also contains a provision that will eliminate the exemption from municipal income taxes for "Alternative Retirement Pensions" used by Ohio universities. South Hearing Room.

On Wednesday, The Senate's State and Local Government and Veterans' Affairs Committee will meet at 3:00 p.m. in the South Hearing Room to take sponsor testimony on revisions to the Fireworks law. The committee will also hear from proponents of HB 120, a bill which allows DAS and political subdivisions to purchase supplies and services through reverse auctions on the Internet. The League favors HB 120.

On Tuesday, The House Criminal Justice Committee (2:00 p.m., Hearing Room 114) will hear sponsor testimony on HB 225, which is the conceal and carry bill.

On Wednesday, the House Local Government and Townships Committee will sponsor testimony on a League-supported bill that will permit the combination of the offices of village clerk and treasurer into an appointed office of village fiscal officer. That bill is HB 245 and will be heard at 10:00 a.m. in House Hearing Room 121.

At 10:30 a.m., the House Retirement and Aging Committee will hear sponsor testimony on HB 244 (Niehaus) which modifies future penalties and reduces current penalties levied against manipulates who allegedly failed to submit certain reports and information to the Ohio Police and Fire Retirement Fund in a timely manner. That hearing will be in House Hearing Room 122.

On Thursday, the House Energy and Environment Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. in House Hearing Room 114 to hear additional testimony on HB 3, which is the implementing language for State Issue 1, the environmental bond issue. By that time, it is expected that a final House sub bill on this issue will be available for us to report and respond.