Ohio Code 5705.2112 – Tax levy to fund acquisition of classroom facilities that benefit the qualifying partnership
(A) As used in this section and section 5705.2113 of the Revised Code:
Terms Used In Ohio Code 5705.2112
- Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
(1) “Qualifying partnership” has the same meaning as in section 3318.71 of the Revised Code.
(2) “Fiscal board” means the board of education of the school district that is selected as the fiscal agent of a qualifying partnership under division (D) of section 3318.71 of the Revised Code.
(3) “Participating school district” means a city, local, exempted village, cooperative education, or joint vocational school district that is a party to the qualifying partnership agreement described in section 3318.71 of the Revised Code.
(4) “Tax distribution” means a distribution of proceeds of the tax authorized by this section under section 321.24 of the Revised Code and distributions that are attributable to that tax under sections 323.156 and 4503.068 of the Revised Code or other applicable law.
(5) “Acquisition of classroom facilities” has the same meaning as in section 3318.01 of the Revised Code.
(B) The fiscal board of a qualifying partnership may levy a tax under this section in excess of the ten-mill limitation for the purpose of funding the acquisition of classroom facilities that benefit the qualifying partnership. The tax is subject to the approval of the electors of all participating school districts. Before proposing the tax to such electors, the fiscal board shall obtain identical resolutions adopted by two-thirds of the members of the board of education of each participating school district. The resolutions shall specify all of the following:
(1) The rate of the levy;
(2) The purpose of the levy, which shall be confined to the acquisition of classroom facilities;
(3) The number of years during which the levy shall be in effect, which shall be for any number of years not exceeding ten;
(4) That the question of the levy shall be submitted to the electors of each participating school district at a special election;
(5) The date that such special election shall be held, which shall not be earlier than ninety days after the resolutions are certified to the board or boards of elections under division (C) of this section and which shall be consistent with the requirements of section 3501.01 of the Revised Code.
(C) A resolution adopted under division (B) of this section shall go into immediate effect upon its passage, and no publication of the resolution shall be necessary other than that provided for in the notice of election. Upon passing such a resolution, the board of education of a participating school district shall certify a copy of the resolution to the fiscal board of the qualifying partnership. Once the fiscal board receives an identical resolution from each participating school district, the fiscal board shall certify copies of such resolutions to the board of elections of the proper county or counties in the manner provided by section 5705.25 of the Revised Code. That section shall govern the arrangements for the submission of the levy to the electors of each participating school district and other matters concerning the election to which that section refers, including publication of notice of the election, except that the election shall be held on the date specified in the resolutions and the notice shall be published in newspapers of general circulation in all the participating school districts.
The question of the levy shall be submitted as a single ballot issue to the electors of all the participating school districts. If a majority of all such electors voting on the question so submitted in the election vote in favor of the levy, the fiscal board may make the necessary levy within the territory of the participating school districts at the additional rate, or at any lesser rate in excess of the ten-mill limitation on the tax list, for the purpose stated in the resolutions.
The submission of questions to the electors under this section is subject to the limitation on the number of election dates established by section 5705.214 of the Revised Code.
(D) Each tax distribution shall be deposited to a special fund, established for the purposes described in the resolutions proposing the tax levy, in the county treasury of the county in which the fiscal board of the qualifying partnership is located. The fiscal board shall be the custodian of the amounts deposited to such fund and shall have the same rights and responsibilities with respect to the fund as boards of education do with respect to other levy revenues.
(E) The levy of a tax under this section for the purpose of funding the acquisition of classroom facilities benefiting a qualifying partnership is hereby determined to be a proper public purpose. For the purposes of Chapter 3317 of the Revised Code or other laws referring to the “taxes charged and payable” for a school district, the taxes charged and payable for a levy authorized under this section are not included in the taxes charged and payable for any participating school district. The taxes charged and payable for a levy authorized under this section shall not affect the calculation of “state education aid,” as defined in section 5751.20 of the Revised Code, for any participating school district.
(F)(1) After the approval of a levy under this section for a specified number of years, the fiscal board of a qualifying partnership may anticipate a fraction of the proceeds of the levy and issue anticipation notes in a principal amount not exceeding seventy-five per cent of the total estimated proceeds of the levy remaining to be collected in each year over a period of ten years after the issuance of the notes.
The notes shall be issued as provided in section 133.24 of the Revised Code, shall have principal payments during each year after the year of their issuance over a period not to exceed ten years, and may have a principal payment in the year of their issuance.
(2) The fiscal board of a qualifying partnership is a “taxing authority” for the purposes of Chapter 133 of the Revised Code with respect to the tax and securities authorized under this section, and the treasurer of the school district serving as the fiscal board is the fiscal officer for the purposes of that chapter.