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OML LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN No. 1 January 24, 2003 PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS BULLETIN TO YOUR COUNCIL, DEPARTMENT HEADS & STAFF Governor Taft Talks About Cuts to LGF and Other Bad News. Folks in public life like to see and be seen. The lights. The cameras. The endless stream of people with whom to share handshakes and hugs. Political events with those elements spark smiles all around. Thus, a Governor's State of the State address usually evokes all of that. Not this year. Governor Taft delivered a subdued and somber message in his fifth State of the State message to a joint session of the Ohio General Assembly this week. After signing an Executive Order to cut state agency budgets by $121 million, the Governor appeared in the House chambers and asked legislators to cut local government and library assistance by $30 million, double taxes on beer, wine and liquor, raise cigarette taxes by 45 cents a pack and look forward to taking even more drastic measures when the state develops its new biennial budget, which begins in July. After saluting state workers for their daily efforts, the Governor also proposed that wages be frozen for those saluted and that there would be further reductions in the number of state workers in the new biennium. Given that the state faces a $720 million deficit in this biennium, the Governor told lawmakers that unless they pass what he proposes by the end of February, he would be "forced to make cuts to state aid to schools, higher education" and other state programs for seniors and economic development. The Governor also promised his support for an increase in state gas taxes in the state's biennial budget. That package, developed by the League and other groups through the State Task Force on Motor Fuels Taxes, would bring millions of dollars to municipal and other local governments and ensure an adequate ODOT construction budget. The League will be in full support of this proposal. However, he also promised to pursue the kind of "central collection" of the municipal corporate net profits tax mentioned often in the tax study committee headed by Tax Commissioner Tom Zaino. The League has and will continue to oppose that idea. The last time the state tried to centrally collect something was with the ill-fated and much litigated child support system. For many Ohio families in need of that support, money that went into that system didn't always come out. We would not like to see that happen with municipal income taxes at a time when municipalities are facing terribly difficult budgets and the constant threat of further reductions in the Local Government Fund. The most immediate threat to municipalities is the cut in the Local Government Fund, the Local Government Revenue Assistance Fund and the Local Government and Library Fund. The $30 million cut would result in losses of aid totally $19 million for local governments and $11 million to libraries. Though billed as a 2.5% cut, it is really about a 12% cut because it would occur not over a biennium, but in the last two to three months of this current biennium, which ends June 30. If approved by the General Assembly, there is no doubt in our minds that such a cut will be the lowest base from which the new biennial budget will operate. Such a cut over two years starting in July would result in a reduction in local government and library aid of approximately another $30-32 million. We say "lowest base" because that is the base that will be used before the General Assembly and the Governor begin the process of trying to fill the $3-4 billion hole that is expected in the new biennial budget. Please, let your members of the General Assembly that placing $30 million of their deficit on the backs of struggling local governments will not help keep the state secure. Such a cut will just make it harder for their constituents to receive the kind of day-to-day services and security they need and deserve. There are no scheduled Committees of the General Assembly meeting for the week of January 27th except a few of the Standing Committees and they will be organizational in nature. That makes it a good time to call your Legislators. Brownfield Training. What is a Brownfield? If you do not know the answer and would like to, feel free to attend a training seminar sponsored by the Ohio EPA. The program is free and will be held at different locations around the state and on three different dates in February. All the information that you will need about "Brownfield Basic Training For Local Governments can be found on our website. The address for the League is www.omunileague.org. Once you log on, all you need to do is click on Brownfield Basic Training. OHIO SAFETY CONGRESS & EXPO April 1-3, 2003 - Greater Columbus Convention Center What do you have to lose by attending the Ohio Safety Congress & Expo? How about a substantial portion of your workers' compensation costs? You might never get a better opportunity to impact your bottom line than by attending the 73rd Ohio Safety Congress & Expo, April 1 through 3 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center Sponsored each year since 1927 by the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation's Division of Safety & Hygiene, the Safety Congress is free to all Ohio employers. Whether looking for a chance to compare notes on safety management with others in your industry, or the latest protective equipment for your employees, your odds of finding it are a lot better at this event. The Ohio Safety Congress & Expo features 150 hours of educational sessions, live demonstrations and 250 exhibitors, all under one roof. Senior astronaut Nancy Currie, a veteran of four NASA space shuttle missions who worked on the international space station project, highlights the list of keynote speakers on the program. Many ideas developed by the space program have found practical applications in our daily lives, and employee safety is no different. Find out if the principles that kept Currie and her colleagues safe on their jobs could find an application in your workplace. On Wednesday, April 2, the Ohio Safety Congress & Expo will host the Ohio Forklift Rodeo Championship. Teams representing employers from all over the state will compete in real-life situations to see which can maneuver a forklift most safely and efficiently. Congress participants can unwind after a long day of talking safety by watching the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Minnesota Wild in NHL hockey action Tuesday, April 2 at 7 p.m. Call Kristie Miller with the Blue Jackets at (614) 246-3731 or e-mail kmiller@bluejackets.com, and specify that you are with the Ohio Safety Congress & Expo, to receive discounted tickets and a free Blue Jackets hat. Most Blue Jackets games sell out, so call early. For more information about the Ohio Safety Congress & Expo, call 1-800-OHIOBWC, and press option 2,2, and then 3; or visit online at www.ohiobwc.com.
Date: January, 2003 I urge you to attend the Ohio Municipal League Legislative Luncheon on Wednesday, March 19, 2003. Registration will begin at 11:30 a.m. The lunch will begin at noon and the program will conclude around 1:30 p.m. The Legislative Luncheon is to honor all members of the 125th General Assembly and will be held in the Statehouse Atrium. A show of strength is important. The League will be inviting all the members of the General Assembly to the luncheon, but we would also ask that you extend a personal invitation to this important event to your own Senator and Representative. There are many newly elected members to the General Assembly and they, as well as the previously elected members, need to know, through your personal invitation, that the work they are doing is very important to all of us. A truly productive state-municipal partnership cannot occur without their understanding of municipal issues or without your participation in events such as this very important League luncheon. As you know this could be a very challenging year for municipal government in the General Assembly. Issues such as changes to the local tax structure, preemption of local authority and many more face both the General Assembly and you as a municipal official this year. Continued dialogue between legislators and municipal officials will be critical to the way those issues are settled. We hope this conference and your participation in it will contribute positively to that dialogue. I look forward to being with you in Columbus on March 19th . Ohio Municipal League Wednesday, March 19, 2003 PLEASE MAKE THE FOLLOWING RESERVATIONS . MUNICIPALITY
HOUSE DISTRICT ____________ SENATE DISTRICT __________
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______________________________________________________________________________ First Person registered pays $60.00 $60.00 Each additional person only pays $50.00 each___@$50.00$___________ Total Enclosed $__________ Make check payable to the: Ohio Municipal League No Walk In Registrations–Cut off date for registrations is March 14, 2003 REFUND POLICY: No refunds will be made unless cancellation is received prior to March 14, 2003. No refunds for "No Shows". No registration will be taken over the phone, however you may fax them to 614/221-4390 |
