Legislative Update - April 2008

Governor Ted Strickland signed the omnibus public libraries bill, Senate Bill 185, into law on Friday March 21, 2008.  The bill will become law on June 20, 2008. The final version of the Act can be found on the General Assembly’s website here: www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_SB_185

Bill introduced to create commission to study reforming and restructuring local government in Ohio.

Representatives Larry Wolpert and Larry Flowers of Franklin County have introduced a Bill, HB 521, which would create The Ohio Commission on Local Government Reform and Collaboration with the charge of developing recommendations on reforming and restructuring local government in this state to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of local government operations and to achieve cost savings for taxpayers.

While developing recommendations the commission shall consider the following:

(1) The consolidation or elimination of local government offices to achieve efficiencies and cost savings for taxpayers;

(2) The consolidation of local government authorities authorized by the constitution or the laws of this state to levy a tax of any kind and of local government units, including schools and libraries, to reduce overhead and administrative expenses;

(3) The reduction, elimination, or reorganization of services or functions of local government to achieve cost savings for taxpayers; and

(4) The constitutional, statutory, and administrative changes necessary to reform and restructure local government to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of local government operations and to achieve costs savings for taxpayers.

Upon passage of the Bill, the commission would be required to issue a report of its findings and recommendations to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Governor not later than July 1, 2010.

The bill has been assigned to the House Local and Municipal Government & Urban Revitalization Committee but has not been scheduled for hearings.