June, 2008

Omnibus Library Bill now law

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

Capital Bill includes Ohio Commission on Local Government Reform and Collaboration.

A version of  HB 521 introduced to create the Commission was included in the Final version of the Capital Bill HB 562, which was recently passed and signed by the Governor.  The Ohio Senate had removed the provision from the bill and a compromise version was included in the final bill.  The compromise version removes references to consolidation and adds local government representation to the Commission.  The Ohio Library Council is included among the organizations with representation.

The full text of the section of the bill is included below:

• SECTION 701.20.
• (A) The Ohio Commission on Local Government Reform and Collaboration shall develop recommendations on ways to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of local government operations, to achieve cost savings for taxpayers, and to facilitate economic development in this state. In developing the recommendations, the commission shall consider, but is not limited to, the following:
  (1) Restructuring and streamlining local government offices to achieve efficiencies and cost savings for taxpayers and to facilitate local economic development; (2) Restructuring and streamlining special taxing districts and local government authorities authorized by the constitution or the laws of this state to levy a tax of any kind or to have a tax of any kind levied on its behalf, and of local government units, including schools and libraries, to reduce overhead and administrative expenses; (3) Restructuring, streamlining, and finding ways to collaborate on the delivery of services, functions, or authorities of local government to achieve cost savings for taxpayers; (4) Examining the relationship of services provided by the state to services provided by local government and the possible realignment of state and local services to increase efficiency and improve accountability; and (5) Ways of reforming or restructuring constitutional, statutory, and administrative laws to facilitate collaboration for local economic development, to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of local government operations, to identify duplication of services, and to achieve costs savings for taxpayers.
• (B)(1) There is hereby created the Ohio Commission on Local Government Reform and Collaboration, consisting of fifteen voting members. The President of the Senate shall appoint three members, one of whom may be a person who is recommended by the Minority Leader of the Senate. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint three members, one of whom may be a person who is recommended by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. The Governor shall appoint three members. One member shall be appointed by, and shall represent, each of the following organizations: the Ohio Municipal League, the Ohio Township Association, the Ohio School Boards Association, the County Commissioners' Association of Ohio, the Ohio Library Council, and the Ohio Association of Regional Councils. The initial appointments shall be made not later than ninety days after the effective date of this section. Vacancies shall be filled in the manner provided for original appointments. Members are not entitled to compensation for their services. (2) The initial meeting of the commission shall be called by the Governor within forty-five days after the initial appointments to the commission are complete. The commission shall elect two of its members to serve as co-chairpersons of the commission.
• (C) The commission may create an advisory council consisting of interested parties representing taxing authorities and political subdivisions that are not taxing authorities. The appointment of members to the advisory council is a matter of the commission's discretion. The commission may direct the advisory council to provide relevant information to the commission. Advisory council members are not members of the commission, and may not vote on commission business.