The bill amends various sections of the Revised Code to enhance regulations on annexation, financial disclosure, and property tax exemptions for residential community reinvestment areas. A significant change is the introduction of a requirement for school district approval for property tax exemptions in these areas. Additionally, the bill expands the list of public officials required to file financial disclosure statements, now including city managers, assistant city managers, village administrators, and assistant village administrators, thereby promoting greater transparency in public service. The amendments also emphasize accountability by mandating detailed disclosures of income, investments, and gifts while ensuring the protection of certain confidential information.

Moreover, the bill revises the annexation process by reducing the maximum territory size for annexation from five hundred acres to two hundred acres and increasing the required contiguous boundary length from five percent to twenty percent. It establishes that annexation proposals must serve the general good of the territory and outlines a new timeline for the board of county commissioners to act on petitions, extending it from forty-five days to ninety days. The bill also clarifies that annexed territories will remain subject to township real property taxes if township services are provided and allows for civil actions against owners who do not comply with zoning ordinances. Additionally, it modifies the process for property tax exemptions, requiring verification from the housing officer and school board approval, while repealing several existing sections of the Revised Code.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 102.02, 709.022, 709.023, 709.024, 709.16, 3735.67