Ohio House OKs fiscal emergency bill

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COLUMBUS — State Representative Craig S. Riedel (R-Defiance) announced that the Ohio House has passed legislation to assist local governments when the Auditor of State has declared a fiscal emergency within a municipal corporation, county, or township.

House Bill 103 makes reforms to the appointing authorities and updates the composition of financial planning and supervision commissions, which are established to develop a solution to such fiscal situations.

House Bill 103, sponsored by Representative Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin), changes the makeup of a Financial Planning and Supervision Commission by reducing the number of appointments a local government can make from five to three. This reform increases the independence and accountability of these commissions, while ensuring they act as a true oversight board, aiding in the adoption of a sound recovery plan for the entity in a state of fiscal emergency.

“I believe that House Bill 103 will provide stronger oversight of government and will provide better accountability to citizens,” said Rep. Riedel.

An additional measure included in the legislation grants the Commission the power to approve or reject financial information submitted by the local government. Further, if a local government fails to implement its financial recovery plan, its status may be increased from fiscal watch to fiscal emergency. This provision would be made permanent in Ohio law under the bill.

House Bill 103, a component of the legislative agenda outlined by the Ohio House Majority Caucus — the Buckeye Pathway — now awaits consideration by the Ohio Senate.