This e-mail message and any attachments are intended solely for members of The Ohio Municipal League. This email should only be forwarded to, distributed to, or copied for OML-member municipalities.
Legislative Bulletin
July 22, 2022

OML UPDATE AT A GLANCE

LOCAL GOVS RECEIVE PAYMENT FROM OPIOID SETTLEMENT
Ohio local governments received their first payments on July 15 from an opioid settlement. The settlement will bring in as much as $808 million over the next 18 years, after the state sued opioid makers and drug distributors for their role in flooding the market with highly addictive opioids. See OML's previously distributed email with more info from earlier this week.

OHIO'S FISCAL YEAR ENDS WITH $5.67 BILLION SURPLUS, SOME OF WHICH WILL GO TOWARD CAPITAL PROJECTS
The state's surplus grew to $5.67 billion after having an unencumbered balance of $4 billion a year ago, although more than half of that total has already been earmarked for non-recurring expenses in FY 2023. See more below.

FEDERAL CHIPS LEGISLATION ADVANCING
The federal Chips-Plus bill is expected to to come to a final vote in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House next week. See more below.

ARPA STATE AND LOCAL RECOVERY FUNDS / STANDARD ALLOWANCE UPDATE
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced it will allow recipient governments to change their election in the next reporting period. See more below.

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS PUT OUT REPORT RELATED TO CLIMATE AND MUNICIPALITIES
A report titled, "The Bill is Coming Due: Calculating the Financial Cost of Climate Change
to Ohio's Local Governments" was released this week saying municipalities will need to pay more as a result of climate change. Previously, the National League of Cities issued its own report, "The Next American Migration: What Cities Should Know About Climate Change and Populations on the Move." See more below.

988 NUMBER UP AND RUNNING FOR OHIOANS
Ohioans dealing with a mental health or substance abuse emergency can now dial or text 988 to get connected with a licensed counselor. The move aligns Ohio with a federal mandate requiring phone service providers to direct 988 calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. More Info

OHIO MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES ITS 2022-23 BEST HOMETOWNS
Congratulations to Athens, Bellefontaine, Kent, Perrysburg, and Versailles for being selected as great places to live, work and visit in Ohio Magazine’s annual Best Hometowns issue, which will be published Nov. 1, 2022. More Info

OHIO NO. 15 IN CNBC'S RANKING OF TOP STATES TO DO BUSINESS
CNBC recently released its "America's Top States to Do Business in 2022" ranking. Ohio fell to 15th after being ranked 10th in 2021 and 2019. Ohio also ranked 15th in 2018. See the Full Rankings

WORKSHOP FOR TOWN-GOWN COMMUNITIES TO FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH COLLABORATIONS
Hear how Ohio’s colleges and universities and their local host governments have worked together to improve mental health and overall community wellness at this free workshop taking place Aug. 3. Register by July 27. More Info

TASK FORCE ON VOLUNTEER FIRE SERVICE HOLDING REGIONAL ROUNDTABLES
The Ohio Task Force on Volunteer Fire Service is hosting regional roundtable events starting on July 27 to solicit input from the volunteer fire department community regarding issues and challenges being faced. The input will lead to recommendations to improve the sustainability of the volunteer fire service in Ohio. More Info

UPCOMING REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN FINDLAY
OML's upcoming regional conference taking place in Findlay on Aug. 5 is a great opportunity to network with other elected officials and staff members from nearby cities and villages, while also learning more about topics relevant to municipalities, including policy issues, ethics, public records, home rule, cybersecurity, and economic development. Register HERE before the July 29 deadline.

ATTORNEYS BENEFIT FROM MUNICIPAL LAW INSTITUTE
The Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association held its annual summer conference – the Municipal Law Institute – this week. The conference provided the opportunity for both criminal attorneys and civil attorneys to learn more about important topics affecting their municipalities today. Thanks to all who attended and made the conference possible!

JULY BRINGS NEW PUBLIC ENTITIES POOL (PEP) RESOURCES
Through PEP's Resource eLibrary, members have access to a number of resources to assist with risk management and risk control needs including online training, policies, procedures and best practices, video streaming, and webinars. See more below.
OHIO'S FISCAL YEAR ENDS WITH $5.67 BILLION SURPLUS, SOME OF WHICH WILL GO TOWARD CAPITAL PROJECTS

The state's surplus grew to $5.67 billion after having an unencumbered balance of $4 billion a year ago, although more than half of that total has already been earmarked for non-recurring expenses in FY 2023, including capital spending in lieu of bonds, according to the Ohio Office of Budget and Management.

About $3.51 billion of the unencumbered balance will be used for:

  • Ohio Onshoring Incentives, a component of the $1.1 billion in direct subsidies to Intel ($600 million)
  • State road improvements tied to anticipated increased traffic from the Intel project ($110 million)
  • Authorized capital fund transfers, in lieu of bonding ($1.5 billion)
  • Potential additional capital fund transfers ($1.3 billion)

The uses were authorized by the latest capital budget. Additional legislative action would be required to use the $1.3 billion to additional capital fund transfers, which Gov. DeWine previously said he would consider.
FEDERAL CHIPS LEGISLATION ADVANCING

The federal Chips-Plus bill is expected to to come to a final vote in the U.S. Senate by the middle of next week. The bill centers on providing tax breaks and $54 billion in support to semiconductor manufacturers to produce chips in the United States, making it important to Intel's presence in Ohio.

The legislation also includes research and development money and a big increase in funds for the National Science Foundation. The House is expected vote on the $250 billion package before it leaves town on July 29 for the August recess.
ARPA STATE AND LOCAL RECOVERY FUNDS / STANDARD ALLOWANCE UPDATE

The last iteration of the SLFRF Project and Expenditure Reporting Guide said that recipient governments had to make a one-time, irrevocable election to take the standard allowance on their April 30 filing. 

In the July update of the SLFRF Project and Expenditure Reporting Guide – version 3.1 – the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced it will allow recipient governments to change their election in the next reporting period if they choose. For example, if a recipient government did not elect to take the standard allowance on the April 30, 2022 report and wants to take it now, a recipient government can make a change on their next filing. 

The reporting guide reads, "If a recipient previously elected to calculate revenue loss or elected the standard allowance but would like to update that election, treasury's portal will allow recipients to supersede their prior election."
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS PUT OUT REPORT RELATED TO CLIMATE AND MUNICIPALITIES

The Environmental Council, Power a Clean Future Ohio, and Scioto Analysis released a report titled, "The Bill is Coming Due: Calculating the Financial Cost of Climate Change
to Ohio's Local Governments" that said municipalities should expect to pay between $1.8 billion and $5.9 billion annually in new costs by midcentury to address climate change.

The report calculated the costs of cleaning algae from Lake Erie, elevating roads over rising waterways, fixing roads after more frequent freeze-thaw cycles, operating cooling centers, and recovering from drought. View Report

The previous report issued by the National League of Cities, "The Next American Migration: What Cities Should Know About Climate Change and Populations on the Move," can be viewed here.
JULY BRINGS NEW PUBLIC ENTITIES POOL (PEP) RESOURCES

Through the Resource eLibrary, PEP members have access to a number of resources to assist with risk management and risk control needs including online training, policies, procedures and best practices, video streaming, webinars and more. The newest resources include:

  • Human Resources: The Impact of Employee Mental Health & Well-Being on Workplaces
  • Online Trainings: Energy Management - HVAC and Indoor Air Quality
  • Public Entity University Training: Working Outdoors in Warm Weather
UPCOMING OML EVENTS

Northwest Regional Conference
Friday, Aug. 5 @ Hancock Hotel in Findlay
If you haven’t yet attended one of our regional summer conferences, this will be your final chance. Join like-minded professionals in northwest Ohio to learn more about the most current issues facing municipalities. The registration deadline is July 29. More Info
MEMBERSHIP INFO: OML-Affiliated Associations
The Ohio Municipal League | omlohio.org