As Passed by the House*                       1            

122nd General Assembly                                             4            

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

      1997-1998                                                    6            


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

          O'BRIEN-COLONNA-REID-THOMPSON-PADGETT-LEWIS-             9            

                       BRADING-BUCHY-MEAD                          10           


                                                                   12           

                           A   B I L L                                          

             To amend section 5705.19 of the Revised Code to       14           

                specify that property taxes levied for the         15           

                purpose of collecting and disposing of garbage or  16           

                refuse may be used for collecting and disposing    17           

                of yard  waste.                                    18           




BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:        20           

      Section 1.  That section 5705.19 of the Revised Code be      22           

amended to read as follows:                                        23           

      Sec. 5705.19.  This section does not apply to school         32           

districts or county school financing districts.                    33           

      The taxing authority of any subdivision at any time and in   35           

any year, by vote of two-thirds of all the members of the taxing   36           

authority, may declare by resolution and certify the resolution    37           

to the board of elections not less than seventy-five days before   38           

the election upon which it will be voted that the amount of taxes  39           

that may be raised within the ten-mill limitation will be          40           

insufficient to provide for the necessary requirements of the      41           

subdivision and that it is necessary to levy a tax in excess of    42           

that limitation for any of the following purposes:                 43           

      (A)  For current expenses of the subdivision, except that    45           

the total levy for current expenses of a detention home district   46           

or district organized under section 2151.65 of the Revised Code    47           

shall not exceed two mills and that the total levy for current     48           

expenses of a combined district organized under sections 2151.34   49           

                                                          2      

                                                                 
and 2151.65 of the Revised Code shall not exceed four mills;       50           

      (B)  For the payment of debt charges on certain described    52           

bonds, notes, or certificates of indebtedness of the subdivision   53           

issued subsequent to January 1, 1925;                              54           

      (C)  For the debt charges on all bonds, notes, and           56           

certificates of indebtedness issued and authorized to be issued    57           

prior to January 1, 1925;                                          58           

      (D)  For a public library of, or supported by, the           60           

subdivision under whatever law organized or authorized to be       61           

supported;                                                         62           

      (E)  For a municipal university, not to exceed two mills     64           

over the limitation of one mill prescribed in section 3349.13 of   65           

the Revised Code;                                                  66           

      (F)  For the construction or acquisition of any specific     68           

permanent improvement or class of improvements that the taxing     69           

authority of the subdivision may include in a single bond issue;   70           

      (G)  For the general construction, reconstruction,           72           

resurfacing, and repair of streets, roads, and bridges in          73           

municipal corporations, counties, or townships;                    74           

      (H)  For recreational purposes;                              76           

      (I)  For the purpose of providing and maintaining fire       78           

apparatus, appliances, buildings, or sites therefor, or sources    79           

of water supply and materials therefor, or the establishment and   80           

maintenance of lines of fire alarm telegraph, or the payment of    81           

permanent, part-time, or volunteer firefighters or fire-fighting   83           

companies to operate the same, including the payment of the        84           

firefighters employer's contribution required under section        85           

742.34 of the Revised Code, or to purchase ambulance equipment,    87           

or to provide ambulance, paramedic, or other emergency medical     88           

services operated by a fire department or fire-fighting company;   89           

      (J)  For the purpose of providing and maintaining motor      91           

vehicles, communications, and other equipment used directly in     92           

the operation of a police department, or the payment of salaries   93           

of permanent police personnel, including the payment of the        94           

                                                          3      

                                                                 
police employer's contribution required under section 742.33 of    97           

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

townships as a result of contracts made with other political       98           

subdivisions in order to obtain police protection, or to provide   99           

ambulance or emergency medical services operated by a police       100          

department;                                                        101          

      (K)  For the maintenance and operation of a county home;     103          

      (L)  For community mental retardation and developmental      105          

disabilities programs and services pursuant to Chapter 5126. of    106          

the Revised Code, except that the procedure for such levies shall  107          

be as provided in section 5705.222 of the Revised Code;            108          

      (M)  For regional planning;                                  110          

      (N)  For a county's share of the cost of maintaining and     112          

operating schools, district detention homes, forestry camps, or    113          

other facilities, or any combination thereof established under     114          

section 2151.34 or 2151.65 of the Revised Code or both of those    115          

sections;                                                          116          

      (O)  For providing for flood defense, providing and          118          

maintaining a flood wall or pumps, and other purposes to prevent   119          

floods;                                                            120          

      (P)  For maintaining and operating sewage disposal plants    122          

and facilities;                                                    123          

      (Q)  For the purpose of purchasing, acquiring,               125          

constructing, enlarging, improving, equipping, repairing,          126          

maintaining, or operating, or any combination of the foregoing, a  127          

county transit system pursuant to sections 306.01 to 306.13 of     128          

the Revised Code, or to make any payment to a board of county      129          

commissioners operating a transit system or a county transit       130          

board pursuant to section 306.06 of the Revised Code;              131          

      (R)  For the subdivision's share of the cost of acquiring    133          

or constructing any schools, forestry camps, detention homes, or   134          

other facilities, or any combination thereof under section         135          

2151.34 or 2151.65 of the Revised Code or both of those sections;  136          

      (S)  For the prevention, control, and abatement of air       138          

                                                          4      

                                                                 
pollution;                                                         139          

      (T)  For maintaining and operating cemeteries;               141          

      (U)  For providing ambulance service, emergency medical      143          

service, or both;                                                  144          

      (V)  For providing for the collection and disposal of        146          

garbage or refuse, INCLUDING YARD WASTE;                           147          

      (W)  For the payment of the police employer's contribution   150          

or the firefighters employer's contribution required under         152          

sections 742.33 and 742.34 of the Revised Code;                                 

      (X)  For the construction and maintenance of a drainage      154          

improvement pursuant to section 6131.52 of the Revised Code;       155          

      (Y)  For providing or maintaining senior citizens services   157          

or facilities as authorized by section 307.694, 307.85, 505.70,    158          

505.706, or division (EE) of section 717.01 of the Revised Code;   159          

      (Z)  For the provision and maintenance of zoological park    161          

services and facilities as authorized under section 307.76 of the  162          

Revised Code;                                                      163          

      (AA)  For the maintenance and operation of a free public     165          

museum of art, science, or history;                                166          

      (BB)  For the establishment and operation of a 9-1-1         168          

system, as defined in section 4931.40 of the Revised Code;         169          

      (CC)  For the purpose of acquiring, rehabilitating, or       171          

developing rail property or rail service.  As used in this         172          

division, "rail property" and "rail service" have the same         173          

meanings as in section 4981.01 of the Revised Code.  This          174          

division applies only to a county, township, or municipal          175          

corporation.                                                       176          

      (DD)  For the purpose of acquiring property for,             178          

constructing, operating, and maintaining community centers as      179          

provided for in section 755.16 of the Revised Code;                180          

      (EE)  For the creation and operation of an office or joint   182          

office of economic development, for any economic development       183          

purpose of the office, and to otherwise provide for the            184          

establishment and operation of a program of economic development   185          

                                                          5      

                                                                 
pursuant to sections 307.07 and 307.64 of the Revised Code;        186          

      (FF)  For the purpose of acquiring, establishing,            188          

constructing, improving, equipping, maintaining, or operating, or  189          

any combination of the foregoing, a township airport, landing      190          

field, or other air navigation facility pursuant to section        191          

505.15 of the Revised Code;                                        192          

      (GG)  For the payment of costs incurred by a township as a   194          

result of a contract made with a county pursuant to section        195          

505.263 of the Revised Code in order to pay all or any part of     196          

the cost of constructing, maintaining, repairing, or operating a   197          

water supply improvement;                                          198          

      (HH)  For a board of township trustees to acquire, other     200          

than by appropriation, an ownership interest in land, water, or    201          

wetlands, or to restore or maintain land, water, or wetlands in    202          

which the board has such an interest, not for purposes of          203          

recreation, but for the purposes of protecting and preserving the  204          

natural, scenic, open, or wooded condition of the land, water, or  205          

wetlands against modification or encroachment resulting from       206          

occupation, development, or other use;                             207          

      (II)  For the support by a county of a crime victim          209          

assistance program that is provided and maintained by a county     210          

agency or a private, nonprofit corporation or association under    211          

section 307.62 of the Revised Code;                                212          

      (JJ)  For any or all of the purposes set forth in division   214          

(I) or (J) of this section.  This division applies only to a       215          

township.                                                          216          

      (KK)  For a countywide public safety communications system   218          

under section 307.63 of the Revised Code.  This division applies   219          

only to counties.                                                  220          

      (LL)  For the support by a county of criminal justice        222          

services under section 307.45 of the Revised Code;                 223          

      (MM)  For the purpose of maintaining and operating a jail    225          

or other detention facility as defined in section 2921.01 of the   226          

Revised Code;                                                      227          

                                                          6      

                                                                 
      (NN)  For purchasing, maintaining, or improving, or any      229          

combination of the foregoing, real estate on which to hold         230          

agricultural fairs.  This division applies only to a county.       231          

      The resolution shall be confined to the purpose or purposes  233          

described in one division of this section, for which the revenue   234          

derived therefrom shall be applied.  The existence in any other    235          

division of this section of authority to levy a tax for any part   236          

or all of the same purpose or purposes does not preclude the use   237          

of such revenues for any part of the purpose or purposes of the    238          

division under which the resolution is adopted.                    239          

      The resolution shall specify the amount of the increase in   241          

rate that it is necessary to levy, the purpose thereof, and the    242          

number of years during which the increase in rate shall be in      243          

effect, which may or may not include a levy upon the duplicate of  244          

the current year.  The number of years may be any number not       245          

exceeding five, except as follows:                                 246          

      (1)  When the additional rate is for the payment of debt     248          

charges, the increased rate shall be for the life of the           249          

indebtedness.                                                      250          

      (2)  When the additional rate is any of the following, the   252          

increased rate shall be for a continuing period of time:           253          

      (a)  For the current expenses for a detention home           255          

district, a district organized under section 2151.65 of the        256          

Revised Code, or a combined district organized under sections      257          

2151.34 and 2151.65 of the Revised Code;                           258          

      (b)  For providing a county's share of the cost of           260          

maintaining and operating schools, district detention homes,       261          

forestry camps, or other facilities, or any combination thereof,   262          

established under section 2151.34 or 2151.65 of the Revised Code   263          

or under both of those sections.                                   264          

      (3)  When the additional rate is for any of the following,   266          

the increased rate may be for a continuing period of time:         267          

      (a)  For the purposes set forth in division (I), (J), (U),   269          

or (KK) of this section;                                           270          

                                                          7      

                                                                 
      (b)  For the maintenance and operation of a joint            272          

recreation district;                                               273          

      (c)  A levy imposed by a township for the purposes set       275          

forth in division (G) of this section.                             276          

      (4)  When the increase is for the purpose set forth in       278          

division (D) or (CC) of this section, the tax levy may be for any  279          

specified number of years or for a continuing period of time, as   280          

set forth in the resolution.                                       281          

      (5)  When the additional rate is for the purpose described   283          

in division (Z) of this section, the increased rate shall be for   284          

any number of years not exceeding ten.                             285          

      A levy for the purposes set forth in division (I), (J), or   287          

(U) of this section, and a levy imposed by a township for the      288          

purposes set forth in division (G) of this section, may be         289          

reduced pursuant to section 5705.261 or 5705.31 of the Revised     290          

Code.  A levy for the purposes set forth in division (I), (J), or  291          

(U) of this section, and a levy imposed by a township for the      292          

purposes set forth in division (G) of this section, may also be    293          

terminated or permanently reduced by the taxing authority if it    294          

adopts a resolution stating that the continuance of the levy is    295          

unnecessary and the levy shall be terminated or that the millage   296          

is excessive and the levy shall be decreased by a designated       297          

amount.                                                            298          

      A resolution of a detention home district, a district        300          

organized under section 2151.65 of the Revised Code, or a          301          

combined district organized under both sections 2151.34 and        302          

2151.65 of the Revised Code may include both current expenses and  303          

other purposes, provided that the resolution shall apportion the   304          

annual rate of levy between the current expenses and other         305          

purpose or purposes.  The apportionment need not be the same for   306          

each year of the levy, but the respective portions of the rate     307          

actually levied each year for the current expenses and the other   308          

purpose or purposes shall be limited by the apportionment.         309          

      Whenever a board of county commissioners, acting either as   311          

                                                          8      

                                                                 
the taxing authority of its county or as the taxing authority of   312          

a sewer district or subdistrict created under Chapter 6117. of     313          

the Revised Code, by resolution declares it necessary to levy a    314          

tax in excess of the ten-mill limitation for the purpose of        315          

constructing, improving, or extending sewage disposal plants or    316          

sewage systems, the tax may be in effect for any number of years   317          

not exceeding twenty, and the proceeds thereof, notwithstanding    318          

the general provisions of this section, may be used to pay debt    319          

charges on any obligations issued and outstanding on behalf of     320          

the subdivision for the purposes enumerated in this paragraph,     321          

provided that any such obligations have been specifically          322          

described in the resolution.                                       323          

      The resolution shall go into immediate effect upon its       325          

passage, and no publication of the resolution is necessary other   326          

than that provided for in the notice of election.                  327          

      When the electors of a subdivision have approved a tax levy  329          

under this section, the taxing authority of the subdivision may    330          

anticipate a fraction of the proceeds of the levy and issue        331          

anticipation notes in accordance with section 5705.191 or          332          

5705.193 of the Revised Code.                                      333          

      Section 2.  That existing section 5705.19 of the Revised     335          

Code is hereby repealed.                                           336          

      Section  3.  In adopting this act, the General Assembly      338          

intends, to the extent permitted by the Ohio Constitution, to      339          

expand the permitted use of the proceeds of a levy adopted under   340          

division (V) of section 5705.19 of the Revised Code for all        341          

levies under that division in effect on or after the effective     342          

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

electors of the subdivision with such a levy in effect.  The       343          

procedure in this section may be used by a taxing district that    344          

is concerned that prior elector approval may be required by the    345          

Ohio Constitution to make this change with regard to an existing   346          

levy.                                                                           

      The taxing authority of any subdivision that, on the         349          

                                                          9      

                                                                 
effective date of this section, levies a tax for the purpose of    350          

providing for the collection and disposal of garbage or refuse     351          

under division (V) of section 5705.19 of the Revised Code as it    352          

existed immediately prior to that effective date may submit a      353          

question to the electors of the subdivision proposing to include   354          

the collection and disposal of yard waste among the purposes for   355          

which that tax may be applied, as authorized by section 5705.19    356          

of the Revised Code as amended by this act.  The taxing authority  357          

shall adopt a resolution proposing the question, and shall         358          

certify a copy of the resolution to the proper board of elections  359          

not less than seventy-five days prior to the day of the primary,   360          

special, or general election at which the question is to appear    361          

on the ballot.  The board of elections shall make the necessary    362          

arrangements for the submission of the question to the electors    363          

of the subdivision, and the election shall be conducted,           364          

canvassed, and certified in the manner otherwise prescribed by     365          

section 5705.25 of the Revised Code, including publication of the  366          

notice of the election, except that the notice shall indicate the  367          

purpose of the election and shall state the time and place of the  368          

election.                                                                       

      The form of the ballot cast at an election held pursuant to  370          

this section shall be as follows:                                  371          

      "Shall revenue from the tax currently being levied by        373          

.......... (insert the name of the subdivision) for the purpose    374          

of collecting and disposing of garbage or refuse be used also for  376          

the collection and disposal of yard waste?                                      

      Approval of this question will not increase the rate at      378          

which the tax currently is levied.                                 379          

                                                                   381          

                      For the proposal                             382          

                                                                   383          

                      Against the proposal                         384          

                                                        "          385          

      The question shall be submitted as a separate proposition    388          

                                                          10     

                                                                 
but may be printed on the same ballot with any other proposition   389          

submitted at the same election, other than the election of         390          

officers.                                                          391