The bill amends various sections of the Revised Code to enhance the regulations surrounding county budget commissions and property taxation in Ohio. It introduces new provisions that dictate the calculation and distribution of funds to school districts, requiring them to levy a minimum of twenty mills for current operating expenses, unless specific reductions in collections apply. The Department of Education and Workforce is tasked with certifying the amounts payable to eligible school districts based on annual enrollment and specific student subgroups. Additionally, the bill modifies the responsibilities of county budget commissions, allowing for adjustments to estimated amounts required from general property taxes to prevent excessive collections while ensuring compliance with the required levy for school districts.

Moreover, the bill establishes new provisions for the approval and apportionment of funds for county public libraries, particularly in counties where the most populous city has a population of 20,000 or less. It allows local legislative authorities or boards of township trustees to adopt resolutions to exclude the approval of the most populous city's legislative authority for alternative apportionment methods, with resolutions needing to be adopted by the first Monday of August prior to the distribution year. The bill also introduces a new section defining a "qualifying fixed-sum levy," outlining the responsibilities of the tax commissioner and county auditors in adjusting tax rates to ensure specified revenue generation. Existing sections related to library fund apportionment and distribution are repealed to streamline the process and update the legal framework.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 3317.01, 5705.31, 5705.32, 5705.321