Fiscal Note & Local Impact Statement
127 th General Assembly of Ohio
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BILL: |
DATE: |
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STATUS: |
SPONSOR: |
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LOCAL IMPACT
STATEMENT REQUIRED: |
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CONTENTS: |
To prescribe a method by which the Director of Transportation
designates memorial highways, streets, and roads to honor law enforcement
officers killed in the line of duty |
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STATE FUND |
FY 2009 |
FY 2010 |
FUTURE YEARS |
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Highway Operating Fund
(Fund 7002) |
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Revenues |
- 0 - |
- 0 - |
- 0 - |
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Expenditures |
Potential increase to
install markers |
Potential increase to
install and maintain markers |
Potential increase to
install and maintain markers |
Note: The state
fiscal year is July 1 through June 30.
For example, FY 2009 is July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009.
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The
Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) may incur additional costs to install
and maintain suitable plaques or signs along the designated portions of
road. From 1995 to the present, 47 law
enforcement officers have been killed feloniously or accidentally. The number of officers killed annually over
this period has ranged from zero to six.
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LOCAL
GOVERNMENT |
FY 2008 |
FY 2009 |
FUTURE YEARS |
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Municipalities, Counties,
and Townships |
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Revenues |
- 0 - |
- 0 - |
- 0 - |
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Expenditures |
Potential minimal increase
to install markers |
Potential minimal increase
to install and maintain markers |
Potential minimal increase
to install and maintain markers |
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Note: For most local governments, the fiscal year is the calendar year. The school district fiscal year is July 1 through June 30.
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If
ODOT chooses not to erect markers, municipalities, counties, and townships may
incur minimal costs if they choose to install markers on the designated
portions of road within their boundaries.
There could also be some future upkeep and repair costs if these markers
are installed.
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Overview
The bill requires the
Director of Transportation to designate portions of state highways, county
roads, township roads, or municipal streets or highways in honor of each state
highway patrol trooper, county sheriff or deputy sheriff, township constable or
police officer, or municipal police officer that is or has been killed in the line
of duty. In these circumstances, the
Director of Transportation is to consult with the appropriate official, such as
the Director of Public Safety and the Superintendent of the State Highway
Patrol, the county sheriff, municipal police chief, or township police
chief. Each designated portion of
roadway may not exceed 20 miles in length.
Portions of the road to be designated that already have a designation
under current law would carry both names.
When a portion of a road receives a designation, the Director of
Transportation may erect suitable markers along the road to indicate its name.
Fiscal effects
As a result of the new
process in the bill, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) may incur
additional costs to install suitable plaques or signs along the designated
portions of road. Current costs to
manufacture, install, and maintain a single set of memorial plaques or markers
at one location are estimated to be a few hundred dollars, depending on the
size of the marker(s), equipment and materials needed to install them, and the
frequency of maintenance. From 1995 to
the present, 47 law enforcement officers have been killed feloniously or
accidentally.[1] Since that time, the number of officers
killed annually has ranged from zero to six.
When a highway is designated
as a memorial, ODOT policy is to first install a memorial plaque in a rest
area, scenic overlook, recreational area, or other appropriate location.[2] If this is not practical, a marker is
installed along the highway instead.
Two plaques or two markers are usually installed, one in each direction
at each location. However, if ODOT
chooses not to install the plaques or markers, the municipality, county, or
township may choose to erect memorial plaques or signs along the designated
portions of road within their boundaries and would incur the expense for doing
so.
LSC fiscal staff: Jason Phillips, Budget Analyst
[1] Data from 1995 through 2006
derived from Federal Bureau of Investigation's Law Enforcement Officers
Killed and Assaulted report. Data
for 2007 and 2008 was obtained from The Officer Down Memorial Page, a web site
that honors law enforcement officials that have been killed in the line of
duty, at http://www.odmp.org.
[2] Ohio Manual of Uniform
Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, 2005 Edition.