Redistricting
A federal court panel issued an opinion directing the Ohio Redistricting Commission to approve a new set of state legislative maps by May 28, or the panel will order the use of the commission’s third set of previously approved maps for use in the Aug. 2 primary.

Governor activity
Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law House Bill (HB) 126, which modifies the board of revision (BOR) process by doing the following:

  • Prohibiting boards of education (BOEs) from filing residential and agricultural complaints.
  • Permitting BOEs to file commercial complaints only when the property was sold in the year before the tax year for which the complaint was filed and the sale price was at least 10% and $500,000 more than the auditor’s value. The $500,000 value will be indexed to inflation each year after tax year 2022.
  • Requiring BOEs to provide notice and pass a resolution for each parcel, with the notice going to the tax address and mailing address.
  • Requiring BOEs to give notice to property owners at least seven days in advance when they plan to vote on a resolution authorizing a valuation challenge.
  • Eliminating notice to BOEs by county auditors for counter-complaints. Districts will have to file counter complaints within 30 days of the date the owner files the original complaint. However, property owners must still receive notice of BOE complaints and have 30 days from receipt of that notice to file a counter-complaint.
  • Banning private-pay settlement agreements entered into after the effective date of the legislation.
  • Providing that the BOR must dismiss a case if it is not decided by the BOR within one year of its filing.
  • Prohibiting BOEs from appealing a BOR decision.

DeWine signed into law HB 95, which appropriates $338 million in fiscal year 2022 to the federal school lunch program. The bill also allows a municipal corporation to concurrently exempt improvements to the same parcel through both an incentive district tax increment financing (TIF) arrangement and a subsequent individual parcel TIF or urban redevelopment TIF if the ordinances authorizing the concurrent exemptions were adopted before March 1, 2022.

DeWine signed into law Senate Bill 135. The bill requires school districts to include in career advising policies information on career fields with associate degrees and certificates and the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. The bill also requires the state superintendent of public instruction, chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education and director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to develop a statewide apprenticeship program for high school students. Lastly, the bill modifies an existing property tax exemption for qualified renewable energy facilities to require coordination with JVSDs and career-tech centers, among others, to train individuals for careers in wind or solar energy.

Finally, DeWine signed into law HB 397, which revises the law regarding agricultural leases, among other provisions.

Posted by Nicole Piscitani on 4/22/2022