As Reported by the House Local Government and Townships Committee*  1            

122nd General Assembly                                             4            

   Regular Session                            Sub. H. B. No. 368   5            

      1997-1998                                                    6            


       REPRESENTATIVES MOTTLEY-CORBIN-OLMAN-GARCIA-OPFER-          8            

                       TERWILLEGER-O'BRIEN                         9            


                                                                   11           

                           A   B I L L                                          

             To amend section 5705.19 of the Revised Code to       13           

                specify that property taxes levied for the         14           

                purpose of collecting and disposing of garbage or  15           

                refuse may be used for collecting and disposing    16           

                of yard  waste.                                    17           




BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:        19           

      Section 1.  That section 5705.19 of the Revised Code be      21           

amended to read as follows:                                        22           

      Sec. 5705.19.  This section does not apply to school         31           

districts or county school financing districts.                    32           

      The taxing authority of any subdivision at any time and in   34           

any year, by vote of two-thirds of all the members of the taxing   35           

authority, may declare by resolution and certify the resolution    36           

to the board of elections not less than seventy-five days before   37           

the election upon which it will be voted that the amount of taxes  38           

that may be raised within the ten-mill limitation will be          39           

insufficient to provide for the necessary requirements of the      40           

subdivision and that it is necessary to levy a tax in excess of    41           

that limitation for any of the following purposes:                 42           

      (A)  For current expenses of the subdivision, except that    44           

the total levy for current expenses of a detention home district   45           

or district organized under section 2151.65 of the Revised Code    46           

shall not exceed two mills and that the total levy for current     47           

expenses of a combined district organized under sections 2151.34   48           

and 2151.65 of the Revised Code shall not exceed four mills;       49           

                                                          2      

                                                                 
      (B)  For the payment of debt charges on certain described    51           

bonds, notes, or certificates of indebtedness of the subdivision   52           

issued subsequent to January 1, 1925;                              53           

      (C)  For the debt charges on all bonds, notes, and           55           

certificates of indebtedness issued and authorized to be issued    56           

prior to January 1, 1925;                                          57           

      (D)  For a public library of, or supported by, the           59           

subdivision under whatever law organized or authorized to be       60           

supported;                                                         61           

      (E)  For a municipal university, not to exceed two mills     63           

over the limitation of one mill prescribed in section 3349.13 of   64           

the Revised Code;                                                  65           

      (F)  For the construction or acquisition of any specific     67           

permanent improvement or class of improvements that the taxing     68           

authority of the subdivision may include in a single bond issue;   69           

      (G)  For the general construction, reconstruction,           71           

resurfacing, and repair of streets, roads, and bridges in          72           

municipal corporations, counties, or townships;                    73           

      (H)  For recreational purposes;                              75           

      (I)  For the purpose of providing and maintaining fire       77           

apparatus, appliances, buildings, or sites therefor, or sources    78           

of water supply and materials therefor, or the establishment and   79           

maintenance of lines of fire alarm telegraph, or the payment of    80           

permanent, part-time, or volunteer firefighters or fire-fighting   82           

companies to operate the same, including the payment of the        83           

firefighters employer's contribution required under section        84           

742.34 of the Revised Code, or to purchase ambulance equipment,    86           

or to provide ambulance, paramedic, or other emergency medical     87           

services operated by a fire department or fire-fighting company;   88           

      (J)  For the purpose of providing and maintaining motor      90           

vehicles, communications, and other equipment used directly in     91           

the operation of a police department, or the payment of salaries   92           

of permanent police personnel, including the payment of the        93           

police employer's contribution required under section 742.33 of    96           

                                                          3      

                                                                 
the Revised Code, or the payment of the costs incurred by                       

townships as a result of contracts made with other political       97           

subdivisions in order to obtain police protection, or to provide   98           

ambulance or emergency medical services operated by a police       99           

department;                                                        100          

      (K)  For the maintenance and operation of a county home;     102          

      (L)  For community mental retardation and developmental      104          

disabilities programs and services pursuant to Chapter 5126. of    105          

the Revised Code, except that the procedure for such levies shall  106          

be as provided in section 5705.222 of the Revised Code;            107          

      (M)  For regional planning;                                  109          

      (N)  For a county's share of the cost of maintaining and     111          

operating schools, district detention homes, forestry camps, or    112          

other facilities, or any combination thereof established under     113          

section 2151.34 or 2151.65 of the Revised Code or both of those    114          

sections;                                                          115          

      (O)  For providing for flood defense, providing and          117          

maintaining a flood wall or pumps, and other purposes to prevent   118          

floods;                                                            119          

      (P)  For maintaining and operating sewage disposal plants    121          

and facilities;                                                    122          

      (Q)  For the purpose of purchasing, acquiring,               124          

constructing, enlarging, improving, equipping, repairing,          125          

maintaining, or operating, or any combination of the foregoing, a  126          

county transit system pursuant to sections 306.01 to 306.13 of     127          

the Revised Code, or to make any payment to a board of county      128          

commissioners operating a transit system or a county transit       129          

board pursuant to section 306.06 of the Revised Code;              130          

      (R)  For the subdivision's share of the cost of acquiring    132          

or constructing any schools, forestry camps, detention homes, or   133          

other facilities, or any combination thereof under section         134          

2151.34 or 2151.65 of the Revised Code or both of those sections;  135          

      (S)  For the prevention, control, and abatement of air       137          

pollution;                                                         138          

                                                          4      

                                                                 
      (T)  For maintaining and operating cemeteries;               140          

      (U)  For providing ambulance service, emergency medical      142          

service, or both;                                                  143          

      (V)  For providing for the collection and disposal of        145          

garbage or refuse, INCLUDING YARD WASTE;                           146          

      (W)  For the payment of the police employer's contribution   149          

or the firefighters employer's contribution required under         151          

sections 742.33 and 742.34 of the Revised Code;                                 

      (X)  For the construction and maintenance of a drainage      153          

improvement pursuant to section 6131.52 of the Revised Code;       154          

      (Y)  For providing or maintaining senior citizens services   156          

or facilities as authorized by section 307.694, 307.85, 505.70,    157          

505.706, or division (EE) of section 717.01 of the Revised Code;   158          

      (Z)  For the provision and maintenance of zoological park    160          

services and facilities as authorized under section 307.76 of the  161          

Revised Code;                                                      162          

      (AA)  For the maintenance and operation of a free public     164          

museum of art, science, or history;                                165          

      (BB)  For the establishment and operation of a 9-1-1         167          

system, as defined in section 4931.40 of the Revised Code;         168          

      (CC)  For the purpose of acquiring, rehabilitating, or       170          

developing rail property or rail service.  As used in this         171          

division, "rail property" and "rail service" have the same         172          

meanings as in section 4981.01 of the Revised Code.  This          173          

division applies only to a county, township, or municipal          174          

corporation.                                                       175          

      (DD)  For the purpose of acquiring property for,             177          

constructing, operating, and maintaining community centers as      178          

provided for in section 755.16 of the Revised Code;                179          

      (EE)  For the creation and operation of an office or joint   181          

office of economic development, for any economic development       182          

purpose of the office, and to otherwise provide for the            183          

establishment and operation of a program of economic development   184          

pursuant to sections 307.07 and 307.64 of the Revised Code;        185          

                                                          5      

                                                                 
      (FF)  For the purpose of acquiring, establishing,            187          

constructing, improving, equipping, maintaining, or operating, or  188          

any combination of the foregoing, a township airport, landing      189          

field, or other air navigation facility pursuant to section        190          

505.15 of the Revised Code;                                        191          

      (GG)  For the payment of costs incurred by a township as a   193          

result of a contract made with a county pursuant to section        194          

505.263 of the Revised Code in order to pay all or any part of     195          

the cost of constructing, maintaining, repairing, or operating a   196          

water supply improvement;                                          197          

      (HH)  For a board of township trustees to acquire, other     199          

than by appropriation, an ownership interest in land, water, or    200          

wetlands, or to restore or maintain land, water, or wetlands in    201          

which the board has such an interest, not for purposes of          202          

recreation, but for the purposes of protecting and preserving the  203          

natural, scenic, open, or wooded condition of the land, water, or  204          

wetlands against modification or encroachment resulting from       205          

occupation, development, or other use;                             206          

      (II)  For the support by a county of a crime victim          208          

assistance program that is provided and maintained by a county     209          

agency or a private, nonprofit corporation or association under    210          

section 307.62 of the Revised Code;                                211          

      (JJ)  For any or all of the purposes set forth in division   213          

(I) or (J) of this section.  This division applies only to a       214          

township.                                                          215          

      (KK)  For a countywide public safety communications system   217          

under section 307.63 of the Revised Code.  This division applies   218          

only to counties.                                                  219          

      (LL)  For the support by a county of criminal justice        221          

services under section 307.45 of the Revised Code;                 222          

      (MM)  For the purpose of maintaining and operating a jail    224          

or other detention facility as defined in section 2921.01 of the   225          

Revised Code;                                                      226          

      (NN)  For purchasing, maintaining, or improving, or any      228          

                                                          6      

                                                                 
combination of the foregoing, real estate on which to hold         229          

agricultural fairs.  This division applies only to a county.       230          

      The resolution shall be confined to the purpose or purposes  232          

described in one division of this section, for which the revenue   233          

derived therefrom shall be applied.  The existence in any other    234          

division of this section of authority to levy a tax for any part   235          

or all of the same purpose or purposes does not preclude the use   236          

of such revenues for any part of the purpose or purposes of the    237          

division under which the resolution is adopted.                    238          

      The resolution shall specify the amount of the increase in   240          

rate that it is necessary to levy, the purpose thereof, and the    241          

number of years during which the increase in rate shall be in      242          

effect, which may or may not include a levy upon the duplicate of  243          

the current year.  The number of years may be any number not       244          

exceeding five, except as follows:                                 245          

      (1)  When the additional rate is for the payment of debt     247          

charges, the increased rate shall be for the life of the           248          

indebtedness.                                                      249          

      (2)  When the additional rate is any of the following, the   251          

increased rate shall be for a continuing period of time:           252          

      (a)  For the current expenses for a detention home           254          

district, a district organized under section 2151.65 of the        255          

Revised Code, or a combined district organized under sections      256          

2151.34 and 2151.65 of the Revised Code;                           257          

      (b)  For providing a county's share of the cost of           259          

maintaining and operating schools, district detention homes,       260          

forestry camps, or other facilities, or any combination thereof,   261          

established under section 2151.34 or 2151.65 of the Revised Code   262          

or under both of those sections.                                   263          

      (3)  When the additional rate is for any of the following,   265          

the increased rate may be for a continuing period of time:         266          

      (a)  For the purposes set forth in division (I), (J), (U),   268          

or (KK) of this section;                                           269          

      (b)  For the maintenance and operation of a joint            271          

                                                          7      

                                                                 
recreation district;                                               272          

      (c)  A levy imposed by a township for the purposes set       274          

forth in division (G) of this section.                             275          

      (4)  When the increase is for the purpose set forth in       277          

division (D) or (CC) of this section, the tax levy may be for any  278          

specified number of years or for a continuing period of time, as   279          

set forth in the resolution.                                       280          

      (5)  When the additional rate is for the purpose described   282          

in division (Z) of this section, the increased rate shall be for   283          

any number of years not exceeding ten.                             284          

      A levy for the purposes set forth in division (I), (J), or   286          

(U) of this section, and a levy imposed by a township for the      287          

purposes set forth in division (G) of this section, may be         288          

reduced pursuant to section 5705.261 or 5705.31 of the Revised     289          

Code.  A levy for the purposes set forth in division (I), (J), or  290          

(U) of this section, and a levy imposed by a township for the      291          

purposes set forth in division (G) of this section, may also be    292          

terminated or permanently reduced by the taxing authority if it    293          

adopts a resolution stating that the continuance of the levy is    294          

unnecessary and the levy shall be terminated or that the millage   295          

is excessive and the levy shall be decreased by a designated       296          

amount.                                                            297          

      A resolution of a detention home district, a district        299          

organized under section 2151.65 of the Revised Code, or a          300          

combined district organized under both sections 2151.34 and        301          

2151.65 of the Revised Code may include both current expenses and  302          

other purposes, provided that the resolution shall apportion the   303          

annual rate of levy between the current expenses and other         304          

purpose or purposes.  The apportionment need not be the same for   305          

each year of the levy, but the respective portions of the rate     306          

actually levied each year for the current expenses and the other   307          

purpose or purposes shall be limited by the apportionment.         308          

      Whenever a board of county commissioners, acting either as   310          

the taxing authority of its county or as the taxing authority of   311          

                                                          8      

                                                                 
a sewer district or subdistrict created under Chapter 6117. of     312          

the Revised Code, by resolution declares it necessary to levy a    313          

tax in excess of the ten-mill limitation for the purpose of        314          

constructing, improving, or extending sewage disposal plants or    315          

sewage systems, the tax may be in effect for any number of years   316          

not exceeding twenty, and the proceeds thereof, notwithstanding    317          

the general provisions of this section, may be used to pay debt    318          

charges on any obligations issued and outstanding on behalf of     319          

the subdivision for the purposes enumerated in this paragraph,     320          

provided that any such obligations have been specifically          321          

described in the resolution.                                       322          

      The resolution shall go into immediate effect upon its       324          

passage, and no publication of the resolution is necessary other   325          

than that provided for in the notice of election.                  326          

      When the electors of a subdivision have approved a tax levy  328          

under this section, the taxing authority of the subdivision may    329          

anticipate a fraction of the proceeds of the levy and issue        330          

anticipation notes in accordance with section 5705.191 or          331          

5705.193 of the Revised Code.                                      332          

      Section 2.  That existing section 5705.19 of the Revised     334          

Code is hereby repealed.                                           335          

      Section  3.  In adopting this act, the General Assembly      337          

intends, to the extent permitted by the Ohio Constitution, to      338          

expand the permitted use of the proceeds of a levy adopted under   339          

division (V) of section 5705.19 of the Revised Code for all        340          

levies under that division in effect on or after the effective     341          

date of this act without the need for further action by the                     

electors of the subdivision with such a levy in effect.  The       342          

procedure in this section may be used by a taxing district that    343          

is concerned that prior elector approval may be required by the    344          

Ohio Constitution to make this change with regard to an existing   345          

levy.                                                                           

      The taxing authority of any subdivision that, on the         348          

effective date of this section, levies a tax for the purpose of    349          

                                                          9      

                                                                 
providing for the collection and disposal of garbage or refuse     350          

under division (V) of section 5705.19 of the Revised Code as it    351          

existed immediately prior to that effective date may submit a      352          

question to the electors of the subdivision proposing to include   353          

the collection and disposal of yard waste among the purposes for   354          

which that tax may be applied, as authorized by section 5705.19    355          

of the Revised Code as amended by this act.  The taxing authority  356          

shall adopt a resolution proposing the question, and shall         357          

certify a copy of the resolution to the proper board of elections  358          

not less than seventy-five days prior to the day of the primary,   359          

special, or general election at which the question is to appear    360          

on the ballot.  The board of elections shall make the necessary    361          

arrangements for the submission of the question to the electors    362          

of the subdivision, and the election shall be conducted,           363          

canvassed, and certified in the manner otherwise prescribed by     364          

section 5705.25 of the Revised Code, including publication of the  365          

notice of the election, except that the notice shall indicate the  366          

purpose of the election and shall state the time and place of the  367          

election.                                                                       

      The form of the ballot cast at an election held pursuant to  369          

this section shall be as follows:                                  370          

      "Shall revenue from the tax currently being levied by        372          

.......... (insert the name of the subdivision) for the purpose    373          

of collecting and disposing of garbage or refuse be used also for  375          

the collection and disposal of yard waste?                                      

      Approval of this question will not increase the rate at      377          

which the tax currently is levied.                                 378          

                                                                   380          

                      For the proposal                             381          

                                                                   382          

                      Against the proposal                         383          

                                                        "          384          

      The question shall be submitted as a separate proposition    387          

but may be printed on the same ballot with any other proposition   388          

                                                          10     

                                                                 
submitted at the same election, other than the election of         389          

officers.                                                          390