Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Senate amendments and pass a bill that amends the tax code to expand the authority of the County Budget Commission to modify levies and reduce a taxing unit's millage in Ohio.

Highlights:

• Defines "unnecessary collections” as collections for a tax beyond the reasonably anticipated financial needs of the taxing authority for the tax after accounting for current fund balances, projected expenditures, and other available funding sources (Sec. 5705.32). 

• Defines “excessive collections” as collections from a tax in an amount or at a rate that exceeds what is required to provide services at a level that is consistent with statutory obligations (Sec. 5705.32). 

• Authorizes the County Budget Commission to adjust the estimated amount required from the general property tax to bring the tax levies required therefore within levels the Commission finds reasonable and prudent to avoid unnecessary or excessive collections (Sec. 5705.32). 

• Prohibits the levy from being reduced below the level that would cause it to collect less than what the levy collected in the preceding year unless funds are available from reserve balance accounts, nonexpendable trust funds, or carryover amounts to offset a reduction below that level (Sec. 5705.32). 

• Prohibits the levy from being reduced to a level that would cause a school district subject to Division (A) of Section 3317.01 of the Revised Code to levy less than twenty mills for current operating expenses as required by the division (Sec. 5705.32). 

• Defines “qualifying fixed-sum levy” as a tax levied on property at whatever rate is required to produce a specified amount of tax money, including a tax levied under Section 5705.199 of the Revised Code, but not including a tax levied in excess of the ten mill limitation to pay debt charges (Sec. 5705.60).

• Requires the tax commissioner to determine by what amount, if any, the rate of a qualifying fixed-sum levy must be changed for the levy to produce the levy’s specified amount of money for the current tax year (Sec. 5705.60).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that amends the tax code to expand the authority of the County Budget Commission to modify levies and reduce a taxing unit's millage in Ohio.

Highlights:

• Defines "unnecessary collections” as collections for a tax beyond the reasonably anticipated financial needs of the taxing authority for the tax after accounting for current fund balances, projected expenditures, and other available funding sources (Sec. 5705.32). 

• Defines “excessive collections” as collections from a tax in an amount or at a rate that exceeds what is required to provide services at a level that is consistent with statutory obligations (Sec. 5705.32). 

• Authorizes the County Budget Commission to adjust the estimated amount required from the general property tax to bring the tax levies required therefore within levels the Commission finds reasonable and prudent to avoid unnecessary or excessive collections (Sec. 5705.32). 

• Prohibits the levy from being reduced below the level that would cause it to collect less than what the levy collected in the preceding year unless funds are available from reserve balance accounts, nonexpendable trust funds, or carryover amounts to offset a reduction below that level (Sec. 5705.32). 

• Prohibits the levy from being reduced to a level that would cause a school district subject to Division (A) of Section 3317.01 of the Revised Code to levy less than twenty mills for current operating expenses as required by the division (Sec. 5705.32). 

• Defines “qualifying fixed-sum levy” as a tax levied on property at whatever rate is required to produce a specified amount of tax money, including a tax levied under Section 5705.199 of the Revised Code, but not including a tax levied in excess of the ten mill limitation to pay debt charges (Sec. 5705.60).

• Requires the tax commissioner to determine by what amount, if any, the rate of a qualifying fixed-sum levy must be changed for the levy to produce the levy’s specified amount of money for the current tax year (Sec. 5705.60).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that amends the tax code to expand the authority of the County Budget Commission to modify levies and reduce a taxing unit's millage in Ohio.

Highlights:

• Defines "unnecessary collections” as collections for a tax beyond the reasonably anticipated financial needs of the taxing authority for the tax after accounting for current fund balances, projected expenditures, and other available funding sources (Sec. 5705.32). 

• Defines “excessive collections” as collections from a tax in an amount or at a rate that exceeds what is required to provide services at a level that is consistent with statutory obligations (Sec. 5705.32). 

• Authorizes the County Budget Commission to adjust the estimated amount required from the general property tax to bring the tax levies required therefore within levels the Commission finds reasonable and prudent to avoid unnecessary or excessive collections (Sec. 5705.32). 

• Prohibits the levy from being reduced below the level that would cause it to collect less than what the levy collected in the preceding year unless funds are available from reserve balance accounts, nonexpendable trust funds, or carryover amounts to offset a reduction below that level (Sec. 5705.32). 

• Prohibits the levy from being reduced to a level that would cause a school district subject to Division (A) of Section 3317.01 of the Revised Code to levy less than twenty mills for current operating expenses as required by the division (Sec. 5705.32). 

• Defines “qualifying fixed-sum levy” as a tax levied on property at whatever rate is required to produce a specified amount of tax money, including a tax levied under Section 5705.199 of the Revised Code, but not including a tax levied in excess of the ten mill limitation to pay debt charges (Sec. 5705.60).

• Requires the tax commissioner to determine by what amount, if any, the rate of a qualifying fixed-sum levy must be changed for the levy to produce the levy’s specified amount of money for the current tax year (Sec. 5705.60).

Full Bill Text