As Introduced

132nd General Assembly

Regular Session H. B. No. 653

2017-2018

A BILL

To enact sections 126.60, 126.61, 357.01, 357.02, 357.03, and 357.04 of the Revised Code to authorize counties to engage in participatory budgeting.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That sections 126.60, 126.61, 357.01, 357.02, 357.03, and 357.04 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 126.60. (A) The participatory budgeting fund is created in the state treasury for the purpose of carrying out sections 357.01 to 357.04 of the Revised Code. The fund shall consist of transfers made to the fund from the general revenue fund. All investment earnings shall be credited to the fund.

(B) Payments made from the fund shall be made to each county treasurer for deposit into the county general fund. The office of budget and management shall determine a county's annual allocation in accordance with division (A) of section 126.61 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 126.61. (A)(1) Each Ohio house of representatives district shall be allocated one million dollars per fiscal year from the participatory budgeting fund created in section 126.60 of the Revised Code.

(2) If an Ohio house of representatives district has territory in more than one county, the allocation shall be divided proportionally in accordance with each county's population, as determined by the most recent federal decennial census.

(B) On approval of a proposal by a majority of the electors of a county under section 357.03 of the Revised Code, the director of budget and management shall transfer to the county general fund the amount prescribed in the proposal from the participatory budgeting fund. Such a transfer shall be made not later than the last day of the month in which the proposal is approved.

(C) The cumulative amount of transfers made to a county general fund in a fiscal year shall not exceed the county's allocation, as determined in accordance with division (A) of this section.

(D) Not later than the thirtieth day of June of each year, the director of budget and management shall calculate the amount of money that was transferred to counties during the past twelve months under division (B) of this section and transfer that amount from the general revenue fund to the participatory budgeting fund.

Sec. 357.01. A board of county commissioners may, by resolution, establish a county participatory budgeting commission to oversee a participatory budgeting process described under sections 357.02 to 357.04 of the Revised Code. The resolution shall include at least the following:

(A) The process for appointing members of the public to the commission;

(B) The total number of members to be appointed to the commission, which shall be at least four;

(C) A requirement that the commission be composed of not less than one county commissioner of the county and not less than three members of the public, who shall be residents of the county.

Sec. 357.02. (A) A county participatory budgeting commission established under section 357.01 of the Revised Code shall be responsible for all of the following:

(1) Overseeing the county's participatory budgeting process under sections 357.01 to 357.04 of the Revised Code;

(2) Establishing a process by which members of the public may submit proposals for the commission to consider related to the construction, acquisition, or improvement of public works, public buildings, or other improvements benefiting the county;

(3) Holding public hearings as necessary to consider proposals submitted by members of the public for the expenditure of funds to be transferred to the county general fund from the participatory budgeting fund established under section 126.60 of the Revised Code;

(4) Selecting proposals for the expenditure of funds to be transferred to the county general fund from the participatory budgeting fund established under section 126.60 of the Revised Code for submission to the electors.

(B) The commission shall not select a proposal for submission to the electors until the commission has held at least one public hearing on the proposal.

(C) The commission shall not select a proposal, or a group of proposals, that would, individually or cumulatively, as applicable, exceed the amount allocated to the county in accordance with division (A) of section 126.61 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 357.03. (A) When the county participatory budgeting commission selects a proposal under section 357.02 of the Revised Code, the board of county commissioners shall adopt a resolution directing the board of elections to submit the proposal to the electors at a general election occurring at least one hundred fifty days after the resolution is adopted.

(B) If the proposal is approved by a majority of the electors voting on it, the board of county commissioners promptly shall do both of the following:

(1) Certify the results of the election to the office of budget and management;

(2) Adopt a resolution ordering that the funds be expended as provided in the proposal.

Sec. 357.04. A board of county commissioners that has established a county participatory budgeting commission may adopt resolutions as needed to facilitate a participatory budgeting process.