(A) As used in this section:

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(1) “Change in district composition” and “change” have the same meaning as in section 3734.521 of the Revised Code.

(2) “Deliver” has the same meaning as in division (G)(2) of section 3734.55 of the Revised Code.

(B) The board of county commissioners of a county forming a joint solid waste management district may initiate proceedings to withdraw from the district by adopting a resolution requesting to withdraw. Upon adopting the resolution, the board shall deliver a copy of it to the board of directors of the district. Upon receiving the resolution, the board of directors shall deliver written notice of the proposed withdrawal to the boards of county commissioners of the other counties forming the district. Within sixty days after receiving the notice, the other boards of county commissioners each shall adopt a resolution approving or disapproving the proposed withdrawal and deliver a copy of the resolution to the board of directors. If any of the other boards of county commissioners adopts a resolution of disapproval, the board of directors shall declare the proposed withdrawal to be disapproved and shall deliver written notice of the disapproval to the boards of county commissioners of the affected counties. If all of the other boards of county commissioners adopt a resolution approving the proposed withdrawal, the board of directors shall declare the withdrawal to be approved and shall deliver written notice of the approval to the boards of county commissioners of the affected counties. The board of directors shall determine whether the withdrawal has been approved or disapproved and deliver the required written notice of the approval or disapproval to the boards of county commissioners of the affected counties within thirty days after receiving the resolutions of approval or disapproval from those boards. Promptly after the approval of the withdrawal, proceedings shall be initiated in accordance with division (E) of section 3734.521 of the Revised Code to effect the withdrawal.

A withdrawal becomes final on the first day of January following the date on which the applicable conditions set forth in division (G)(1), (2), (3), or (4) of section 3734.521 of the Revised Code have been met in connection with the change in district composition that involves the withdrawal. On and after that first day of January, the withdrawing county ceases to be a part of the joint district, its members on the board of directors shall cease to be members of the board, and its power to levy a tax upon taxable property to support the district terminates, except that the county shall continue to levy and collect any taxes levied for the payment of indebtedness of the district as it was composed at the time the indebtedness was incurred. Upon the withdrawal of a county from a joint district, the board of directors shall ascertain, apportion, and order a division of the funds on hand, credits, and real and personal property of the district, either in money or in kind, on any equitable basis between the district and the withdrawing county consistent with the agreement to establish and maintain the district entered into and ratified under division (A) of section 343.01 of the Revised Code and the prior contributions of the withdrawing county.

If the withdrawal of one or more counties would leave only one county participating in a joint district, the board of directors shall ascertain, apportion, and order a final division of the funds on hand, credits, and real and personal property of the district. On and after the first day of January on which the latest withdrawal of a county from the district becomes final, the district shall be dissolved. When a joint district is dissolved and any indebtedness remains unpaid, the boards of county commissioners shall continue to levy and collect taxes for the payment of the indebtedness in support of the joint district in the amounts established by the agreement at the time the indebtedness was incurred.

For the purposes of this division, “counties forming the joint district” include only the following:

(1) The counties that are named as members of the joint district in the solid waste management plan or amended plan of the district approved or ordered to be implemented under section 3734.521, 3734.55, or 3734.56 of the Revised Code in effect when the withdrawal proceeding was initiated and that have not previously initiated proceedings under division (B) of this section to withdraw from the joint district;

(2) Any counties named as members of the joint district in that plan or amended plan that have initiated a withdrawal proceeding under division (B) of this section that has been declared to be disapproved under that division;

(3) If joinder proceedings had previously been concluded under division (D) of this section since that plan or amended plan was approved or ordered to be implemented, any county whose joinder to the district was declared to be approved in those proceedings.

(C) The board of county commissioners of a county seeking to establish a new joint district with the board of county commissioners of one or more other counties may initiate proceedings to do so by adopting a resolution proposing the establishment of the joint district. Upon adopting the resolution, the board shall deliver a copy of it to the boards of county commissioners of the other counties to be included in the proposed joint district. If the board proposing the establishment also has initiated proceedings to withdraw from an existing joint district under division (B) of this section, the board shall not adopt a resolution proposing the establishment until after the proposed withdrawal has been declared to be approved and, upon adopting the resolution, shall deliver a copy of the written notice declaring the withdrawal to be approved under that division to the other boards along with the copy of the resolution proposing the establishment.

Within sixty days after receiving the resolution and, if applicable, a copy of the notice of the approval of the withdrawal, each of the other boards shall adopt a resolution approving or disapproving the proposed establishment and deliver a copy of it to the board of county commissioners proposing the establishment. However, if any of the other boards also has initiated withdrawal proceedings under division (B) of this section, and if the withdrawal has been declared to be disapproved or has not yet been declared to be approved or disapproved under that division, that board need not adopt a resolution concerning the proposed establishment, but shall deliver to the board of county commissioners proposing the establishment a copy of the written notice of the disapproval or, if the withdrawal has not yet been declared to be approved or disapproved, written notice of that fact. If the withdrawal has been declared to be approved under division (B) of this section, the board shall deliver a copy of the written notice of the approval with the copy of its resolution approving or disapproving the proposed establishment. If any of the other boards adopts a resolution of disapproval, or if any of the other boards initiated withdrawal proceedings under division (B) of this section and the withdrawal either has been declared to be disapproved under that division or has not yet been declared to be approved or disapproved under that division when the board of county commissioners so notified the board of county commissioners proposing the establishment, the board of county commissioners proposing the establishment shall declare the proposed establishment to be disapproved and shall deliver written notice of the disapproval to the other boards. If all of the other boards adopt a resolution approving the establishment, and, if any of the other boards initiated such withdrawal proceedings, the withdrawal already has been declared to be approved under that division when the board of county commissioners delivered the resolution approving the establishment to the board of county commissioners proposing the establishment, the board that initiated the proceedings shall declare the establishment to be approved and shall deliver written notice of the approval to the other boards. The board of county commissioners that initiated the proceedings shall determine whether the establishment has been approved or disapproved and deliver the required written notice of the approval or disapproval to the other boards within thirty days after receiving the resolutions of approval or disapproval from the other boards or being otherwise notified by them in accordance with this division.

Promptly after the approval of the establishment, the boards shall enter into and ratify an agreement to form the joint district under division (A) of section 343.01 of the Revised Code, and proceedings shall be initiated under section 3734.521 of the Revised Code to effect the establishment of the joint district. The establishment of the joint district becomes final when the applicable conditions set forth in division (G)(1), (2), (3), or (4) and, if appropriate, division (H) of section 3734.521 of the Revised Code have been met in connection with the change in district composition that involves the establishment. On the date that the establishment becomes final, the boards of county commissioners of the counties establishing the joint district collectively constitute the board of directors of the joint district, except that if a county with a legislative authority other than a board of county commissioners participates in the joint district, it shall be represented on the board of directors by three persons appointed by the legislative authority of the county.

(D) The board of county commissioners of a county may initiate proceedings to join an existing joint district by adopting a resolution requesting membership in the joint district. Upon adoption of the resolution, the board shall deliver a copy of it to the board of directors of the joint district. If the board of county commissioners proposing the joinder also has initiated proceedings to withdraw from an existing joint district under division (B) of this section, the board shall not adopt a resolution proposing the joinder until after the withdrawal has been declared to be approved under that division and, upon adopting the resolution, shall deliver a copy of the written notice declaring the withdrawal to be approved under that division to the board of directors of the joint district along with the resolution proposing the joinder. Upon receiving the resolution and, if applicable, a copy of the notice of the approval of the withdrawal, the board of directors shall deliver notice of the proposed joinder to the boards of county commissioners of the counties forming the existing joint district. Within sixty days after receiving the notice of the proposed joinder, each such board shall adopt a resolution approving or disapproving the joinder and shall deliver a copy of the resolution to the board of directors. If the board of county commissioners of any of the counties forming the existing joint district adopts a resolution of disapproval or if any of the counties that are members of the existing joint district had initiated a withdrawal from it under division (B) of this section that had not yet been declared to be approved or disapproved under that division when the board of county commissioners delivered their resolutions approving or disapproving the joinder to the board of directors, the board of directors shall declare the proposed joinder to be disapproved and shall deliver written notice of the disapproval to the affected boards of county commissioners. If the board of county commissioners of each county forming the existing joint district adopts a resolution approving the proposed joinder and, if any of the counties that are members of the existing joint district has initiated a withdrawal from it under division (B) of this section, the withdrawal has been declared to be approved or disapproved under that division, the board of directors shall declare the joinder to be approved and shall deliver written notice of the approval to the affected boards of county commissioners. The board of directors shall determine whether the joinder has been approved or disapproved and deliver the required written notice of the approval or disapproval to the boards of county commissioners of the affected counties within thirty days after receiving the resolutions of approval or disapproval from the boards of county commissioners of the counties forming the existing joint district.

Promptly after the approval of the joinder, the affected boards shall enter into and ratify an agreement under division (A) of section 343.01 of the Revised Code to join the county to the joint district, and proceedings shall be initiated in accordance with section 3734.521 of the Revised Code to effect the joinder. The joinder becomes final when the applicable conditions set forth in division (G)(1), (2), (3), or (4) and, if appropriate, division (H) of section 3734.521 of the Revised Code have been met in connection with the change in district composition that involves the joinder. When the joinder becomes final, the board of county commissioners of the joining county or three members appointed by its legislative authority, if other than a board of county commissioners, shall be added to the board of directors of the joint district. If one or more counties withdrew from the existing joint district in connection with the change that involved the joinder, the members of the board of directors of the existing joint district from the counties that withdrew shall cease to serve as members of the board of directors on the date that the change becomes final.

For the purposes of this division, “counties forming the existing joint district” include only the following:

(1) The counties that are named as members of the joint district in the solid waste management plan or amended plan of the district approved or ordered to be implemented under section 3734.521, 3734.55, or 3734.56 of the Revised Code in effect when the joinder proceeding was initiated and that have not initiated proceedings to withdraw from the joint district under division (B) of this section;

(2) Any counties named as members of the joint district in that plan or amended plan that have initiated a withdrawal under division (B) of this section that has been declared to be disapproved under that division;

(3) If joinder proceedings had previously been concluded under this division since that plan or amended plan was approved or ordered to be implemented, any county whose joinder to the district was declared to be approved in those proceedings.

(E) The board of directors of a joint district may initiate proceedings for the union of the district with another joint district by adopting a resolution requesting the union. If the joint district whose board of directors is requesting the union is affected by a withdrawal proceeding initiated under division (B) of this section, the board of directors shall not adopt a resolution requesting the union until after it has declared the proposed withdrawal to be approved or disapproved under division (B) of this section. Upon adoption of the resolution, the board shall deliver a copy of it to the board of directors of the joint district with which the union is proposed. Within thirty days after receiving the resolution, the board of directors of the other joint district shall deliver written notice to the board of directors requesting the union as to whether the other joint district is affected by a withdrawal proceeding initiated under division (B) of this section. If the other district is so affected, its board of directors shall deliver with the notice a copy of the resolution proposing the withdrawal and a copy of the written notice declaring the withdrawal to be approved or disapproved under division (B) of this section or, if the withdrawal has not yet been declared to be approved or disapproved, written notice of that fact. If the board of directors of the other district declares such a withdrawal to be approved or disapproved within sixty days after the board of directors that requested the union delivered copies of the resolution requesting the union to the boards of county commissioners of the counties forming the existing joint districts, the board of directors of the other district shall deliver written notice of the approval or disapproval of the withdrawal to the board of directors that requested the union.

Within thirty days after receiving from the board of directors of the other joint district the written notice as to whether that district is affected by a withdrawal proceeding, the board of directors requesting the union shall deliver a copy of the resolution requesting the union to the boards of county commissioners of the counties forming the existing joint districts. Within sixty days after receiving the resolution, each such board of county commissioners shall adopt a resolution approving or disapproving the union and deliver a copy of it to the board of directors that requested the union. If the board of county commissioners of any of the counties forming the existing joint districts adopts a resolution of disapproval or if any of the joint districts is affected by a withdrawal from it initiated under division (B) of this section that had not yet been declared to be approved or disapproved under that division when the board of county commissioners proposing the withdrawal delivered its resolution approving or disapproving the proposed union to the board of directors, the board of directors shall declare the union to be disapproved and shall deliver written notice of the disapproval to the board of county commissioners of each of the affected counties. If the boards of county commissioners of all of the counties forming the existing joint districts adopt resolutions approving the proposed union and, if any of the joint districts is affected by a withdrawal proceeding initiated under division (B) of this section, the withdrawal had already been declared to be approved or disapproved under that division when the board of county commissioners of the counties forming the existing joint districts delivered their resolutions approving the proposed union to the board of directors, the board of directors shall declare the union to be approved and shall deliver written notice of that fact to the affected boards of county commissioners. The board of directors shall determine whether the union has been approved or disapproved and deliver the required written notices of the approval or disapproval to the boards of county commissioners of the counties forming the existing joint districts within thirty days after receiving the resolutions of approval or disapproval from those boards of county commissioners.

Promptly after the approval of the union, the boards of county commissioners of the affected counties shall enter into and ratify an agreement under division (A) of section 343.01 of the Revised Code to unite the districts, and proceedings shall be initiated in accordance with section 3734.521 of the Revised Code to effect the union. The union becomes final when the applicable conditions set forth in division (G)(1), (2), (3), or (4) and, if appropriate, division (H) of section 3734.521 of the Revised Code have been met in connection with the change in district composition that involves the union. On the date that the union becomes final, the boards of directors of the former joint districts collectively constitute the board of directors of the united district, except that if one or more counties were joined to any of the existing joint districts in connection with the change in district composition that involved the union, the board of county commissioners or three members appointed by its legislative authority, if other than a board of county commissioners, shall be added to the board of directors of the united district, and except that if one or more counties withdrew from any of the existing joint districts in connection with the change in district composition that involved the union, the board of directors shall not include members from the counties that withdrew from the former joint districts.

For the purposes of this division, “counties forming the existing joint districts” includes only the following:

(1) The counties that are named as members of one of the joint districts affected by the proposed union in the solid waste management plan or amended plan of the appropriate district approved or ordered to be implemented under section 3734.521, 3734.55, or 3734.56 of the Revised Code in effect when the union proceeding was initiated and that have not initiated proceedings under division (B) of this section to withdraw from the joint districts of which they were members on that date;

(2) Any county named as a member of a joint district affected by the proposed union in any such plan or amended plan that has initiated a withdrawal under division (B) of this section that has been declared to be disapproved under that division;

(3) If joinder proceedings previously had been concluded under division (D) of this section to join a county to an existing joint district affected by the proposed union, any county whose joinder to the existing joint district was declared to be approved in that proceeding.