OML UPDATE AT-A-GLANCE
 
Here are the top things you need to know from this past week:
 
·        Last week, the legislature began its Easter/Spring Break recess from legislative activity, returning to the Statehouse at the end of the month. As such, unless there is activity to share with our members, the league will not be sending out a Legislative Bulletin next week.
 
·        The league would like to share with our members that OML Communications Director Ashley Ringle was chosen to advance her career and will be pursuing other professional opportunities. We wish Ashley the best in her future endeavors and we greatly appreciate the many years of service Ashley provided Ohio’s cities and villages. League staff will begin the interview process next week to determine her successor. All the best, Ashley!  
 
·        Yesterday, Gov. DeWine announced the launch of the Ohio Task Force on Volunteer Fire Service to address the threat facing fire departments in need of personnel and funding. Fire jurisdictions around the state -- especially in the 86 counties with part- or all-volunteer departments -- will need more volunteer recruitment, funding, training, equipment and "long-term stability of the volunteer fire department structure" to continue to answer the call. Calling it “nothing short of a crisis situation”, the Governor acknowledged that in addition to an unprecedented amount of recent fire levy’s failing, there is a 6.5 percent decrease in the number of volunteers in the state since 2018 accompanied by an ongoing rise in emergency calls. The administration says data collected by the state shows more than half of registered fire departments in Ohio are staffed by volunteers. The league thanks Bellefontaine Mayor Ben Stahler and Deer Park City Manager William (B.J.) Jetter for representing Ohio’s municipalities on the task force. The OML thanks Governor DeWine for addressing this important issue facing Ohio local governments.
 
·        On Thursday, April 28 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., the League and the Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association (OMAA) are hosting a webinar entitled “Nuisance Abatement.” Ohio’s nuisance abatement law empowers municipalities to address properties with chronic code violations, as well as properties with chronic criminal activity. This webinar will provide a general overview of Ohio nuisance abatement law and a framework for its practical application in municipalities of all sizes. Learn more and register HERE.
 
·        The Ohio Office of Budget Management (OBM) has reported that the State’s tax coffers have exceeded projections by 7.7% ($1.4 billion) with a quarter left of the current fiscal year. 
 
·        We want to share with our members that beginning April 25th, the Ohio Economic Development Institute will be holding their 2022 OEDA Economic Development Tools Webinar Series. The two-part training series program will address, first through webinars, important municipal topics such as Ohio’s Tax Increment Financing Program (TIFs), Best Practices In Using ARPA Dollars, Ohio’s Enterprise Zone and CRA Program and Law, Ohio’s Joint Economic Development District Program (JEDDs). The second series in the program is a live series on Economic and Fiscal Impact Analysis, along with ROI and Gap Analysis, beginning on June 7th. See the article below for more information and the link to register.  
 
·        Registration is now open for the 2022 OML Regional Conference series. These important and content-packed, one day regional conferences will cover critical information those who work for a municipality need to understand and be familiar with. These events are also an important opportunity to meet and network with other municipal leaders in your area. Topics include updates on ethics issues, a deep dive into Ohio’s Home Rule authorities, issues related to public financing and public records management and much more! For the full agenda and to register, go HERE.   
 
·        Bricker & Eckler LLP is hosting the 14th Annual Construction Procurement for Public Entities in Ohio. This event is specifically designed for Ohio public entities and covers the project delivery methods available for public construction projects and when competitive bidding is required. Registration and more information can be found HERE.
 
·        Registration is open for the Municipal Finance Officers Association of Ohio (MFOA) 2022 Annual Conference! The conference will be held in-person Wednesday, May 18 through Friday, May 20. The event will be held at the Marriott Columbus Northwest located at 5605 Blazer Parkway in Dublin, Ohio. As always CPE, CPIM and FIA credit will be offered for participants. To learn more and to register, click HERE.
 
 
OHIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE TO HOST WEBINAR SERIES
 
Ohio has one of the most robust set of economic development tools in the nation. But to effectively utilize these programs, it’s critical that economic developers, elected officials, planners and policy makers stay up to date on the practical use of these programs and the latest changes.
 
The OEDI/Bricker Economic Development Tools Webinar series provides the latest updates on these programs. Participants will hear from practitioners and professionals in the field about best practices. OhioCED and AICP Credit Available. Member and multiple registration discounts are available.
 
The first in the series will be Ohio’s Tax Increment Financing Program:
Ohio’s Tax Increment Financing Program (TIF) is an effective a popular tool to finance critical infrastructure for economic development. This Webinar, presented by OEDA and Bricker & Eckler, will focus on the basics of TIF financing in Ohio, some best practices to ensure that your TIF accomplishes its purpose, and case studies of best-in-class TIFs by Ohio communities. The Webinar will also update on recent changes to the TIF program. This webinar takes place April 25, 2022 from 9:30a.m.-11:00a.m.
 
The next webinar is Best Practices Investing Your Federal ARPA Funds: Ohio communities have benefited from millions of dollars in Federal ARPA dollars, designed to support recovery from the COVID recession as well as make structural investments that enhance the sustainability of communities. This Webinar, presented by OEDA and Bricker & Eckler, will update attendees on the latest ARPA requirements, provide some best practice ideas from JobsOhio and others, and present several case studies of how Ohio communities have utilized their ARPA funding. This webinar takes place May 9, 2022 from 9:30a.m.-11:00a.m.
 
Ohio’s Enterprise Zone and CRA Programs and Law: Ohio’s Enterprise Zone (EZ) and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Programs provide property tax abatement for new real estate investment in Ohio. The EZ program has been an important tool for both commercial development. Over the past several years, changes in these programs have required communities to tighten up their operations to ensure that they are compliant. This Webinar, conducted in partnership with Bricker & Eckler, will provide participants with an overview of EZ and CRA program guidelines, case studies in how these programs have been used, potential changes in the program in the next year, and best practices. This webinar takes place on June 6, 2022 from 9:30a.m.-11:00a.m.
 
Lastly, Ohio’s Joint Economic Development District Program:
Ohio’s Joint Economic Development District (JEDD) program is the major state program that enables collaboration between municipalities and townships to encourage investment and job creation. Over the past few years, the JEDD program has undergone many significant changes that impact its practical use. This Webinar, conducted in partnership with Bricker & Eckler, will focus on 1) the basic criteria and rules for the JEDD program; 2) case studies of how JEDD has been used to promote economic development; 3) best practices in how to establish JEDDs that are successful; and 4) lessons learned over the years. This webinar takes place on July 11, 2022 from 9:30a.m.-11:00a.m.
 
Register for any of these webinars HERE

A critical part of economic and community development is understanding the potential impact of development projects, policies and incentives. OEDA’s Impact Services provides intensive grounding in how to use these tools. Great opportunity for elected officials, economic and community developers, planners, nonprofit development organizations and anyone who wants to be a strong advocate for their communities.
All courses provide OhioCED and AICP credit. Courses provide a hands-on opportunity to work with these important tools. Courses are taught by experienced practitioners and policy makers.

Economic Impact Analysis: Economic Impact Analysis is a primary tool used to understand the costs and benefits of development policy, programs, and projects. This course will focus on how economic impact is used, the inner workings of economic impact analysis, provide case studies of economic impact analysis in Ohio, and evaluate the various economic impact tools and consultants available. Speakers include Jason Jolley from Ohio University, Candi Clouse, Ph.D. Director of Education Services at IMPLAN, and Jim Robey, from Upjohn Institute. This event will take place on June 7, 2022 at Bowling Green State University from 9:00a.m.-2:00p.m.
 
Fiscal Impact Analysis: Fiscal Impact Analysis is valuable tool to understand the fiscal impact of development on local government finances. FIA can be a complex process that is difficult for policy makers and citizens to comprehend. In this session, you will hear from policy makers and practitioners who have used FIA as a decision-making tool to evaluate the direct and indirect costs of development for communities. This event will take place on July 22, 2022 at Case Western Reserve University from 9:00a.m.-2:00p.m.
 
ROI & Gap Analysis: Gap Analysis in Economic Development is key for elected officials, policy makers, economic developers, and taxpayers to understanding “How much is enough?” when offering incentives for projects. This session will provide a hands-on look at the practical tools for making decisions on incentives, financing, and investment for development projects. This event will take place on September 2, 2022 at Clark State Community College’s Hollenbeck Bayley Conference Center from 9:00a.m.-2:00p.m.

Register for either of these events HERE.
 
 
TAX INCREMENT FINANCING (TIF) CHANGES ADDED TO HB95
 
We want to share with members that last week, the Ohio House of Representatives passed and sent on to the Governor, HB95, legislation sponsored by Reps. Manchester and Lightbody that will temporarily allow income tax credits for beginning farmers who participate in a financial management program and for businesses that sell or rent agricultural land, livestock, facilities, or equipment to beginning farmers. 

During the committee process in the Ohio Senate, the legislation was amended impacting existing and future Tax Increment Financing (TIF) agreements.
 
Specifically, the bill will:
·        allow a municipal corporation to concurrently exempt improvements to the same parcel through both an incentive district TIF arrangement and a subsequent individual parcel TIF or urban redevelopment TIF, if the ordinance allowing the layering was approved prior to March 1, 2022. This new language also
·        prescribes rules for allocating the exemption percentage, school district and county reimbursements and service payment between the two TIF exemptions.
·        requires that municipal TIF ordinances after March 1, 2022, terminate and replace any prior TIF exemption granted to the same parcel by the same municipality.
 
The legislation awaits the Governor’s signature and will go into effect in 90 days after being signed. You can read the final bill HERE and analysis HERE.
 
 
NO COMMITTEE RECAP
OP&F EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION INCREASE EXPECTED TO BE HEARD WHEN LEGISLATURE RETURNS
 
There were no committee hearings this past week.
 
When the legislature does return from their Spring Break possibly the last week of April, we expect one of the municipal bills the legislature will resume hearings on is HB 512, legislation to increase the employer contribution rate for the Ohio Police and Fire Retirement to an across-the-board rate of 26.5%. The league encourages members to evaluate what financial impact this proposed increase in the retirement support for police and fire officials will have on their municipal budgets and to communicate to their state representative and senator what additional challenges this initiative will have on their current safety forces and services in the future.  
 
We will immediately alert our members when the legislation is scheduled for a third hearing which should be for opponent testimony, in the Ohio House Insurance Committee.