Section 5705.03 | Authorization to levy taxes - collection.

• Effective: September 13, 2022
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 140 - 134th General Assembly

(A) The taxing authority of each subdivision may levy taxes annually, subject to the limitations of sections 5705.01 to 5705.47 of the Revised Code, on the real and personal property within the subdivision for the purpose of paying the current operating expenses of the subdivision and acquiring or constructing permanent improvements. The taxing authority of each subdivision and taxing unit shall, subject to the limitations of such sections, levy such taxes annually as are necessary to pay the interest and sinking fund on and retire at maturity the bonds, notes, and certificates of indebtedness of such subdivision and taxing unit, including levies in anticipation of which the subdivision or taxing unit has incurred indebtedness.

(B)(1) When a taxing authority determines that it is necessary to levy a tax outside the ten-mill limitation for any purpose authorized by the Revised Code, the taxing authority shall certify to the county auditor a resolution or ordinance requesting that the county auditor certify to the taxing authority the amounts described in division (B)(2) of this section. The resolution or ordinance shall state all of the following:

(a) The proposed rate of the tax, expressed in mills for each one dollar of taxable value, or the dollar amount of revenue to be generated by the proposed tax;

(b) The purpose of the tax;

(c) Whether the tax is an additional levy, a renewal or a replacement of an existing tax, a renewal or replacement of an existing tax with an increase or a decrease, a reduction or decrease of an existing tax, or an extension of an existing tax to additional territory;

(d) The section of the Revised Code authorizing submission of the question of the tax;

(e) The term of years of the tax or if the tax is for a continuing period of time;

(f) That the tax is to be levied upon the entire territory of the subdivision or, if authorized by the Revised Code, a description of the portion of the territory of the subdivision in which the tax is to be levied;

(g) The date of the election at which the question of the tax shall appear on the ballot;

(h) That the ballot measure shall be submitted to the entire territory of the subdivision or, if authorized by the Revised Code, a description of the portion of the territory of the subdivision to which the ballot measure shall be submitted;

(i) The tax year in which the tax will first be levied and the calendar year in which the tax will first be collected;

(j) Each such county in which the subdivision has territory.

(2) Upon receipt of a resolution or ordinance certified under division (B)(1) of this section, the county auditor shall certify to the taxing authority each of the following, as applicable to that levy:

(a) The total current tax valuation of the subdivision.

(b) The number of mills for each one dollar of taxable value that is required to generate a specified amount of revenue.

(c) Either of the following, calculated using the tax list for the current year, and if this is not determined, the estimated amount submitted by the auditor to the county budget commission:

(i) If the levy is to renew, renew and increase, renew and decrease, reduce or decrease, or extend to additional territory an existing levy that is subject to reduction under section 319.301 of the Revised Code, the levy's estimated effective rate, calculated using the rate described in division (B)(2)(b) or (d) of this section, expressed in dollars, rounded to the nearest dollar, for each one hundred thousand dollars of the county auditor's appraised value;

(ii) For all other levies, the levy's rate, described in division (B)(2)(b) or (d) of this section, expressed in dollars, rounded to the nearest dollar, for each one hundred thousand dollars of the county auditor's appraised value.

(d) The dollar amount of revenue, rounded to the nearest dollar, that would be generated by a specified number of mills for each one dollar of taxable value.

(e) For any levy or portion of a levy except a levy or portion of a levy to pay debt charges, an estimate of the levy's annual collections, rounded to the nearest one thousand dollars, which shall be calculated assuming that the amount of the tax list of the taxing authority remains throughout the life of the levy the same as the amount of the tax list for the current year, and if this is not determined, the estimated amount submitted by the auditor to the county budget commission.

If a subdivision is located in more than one county, the county auditor shall obtain from the county auditor of each other county in which the subdivision is located the current tax valuation for the portion of the subdivision in that county. The county auditor shall issue the certification to the taxing authority within ten days after receiving the taxing authority's resolution or ordinance requesting it.

(3) Upon receiving the certification from the county auditor under division (B)(2) of this section, the taxing authority may adopt a resolution or ordinance stating the rate of the tax levy, expressed in mills for each one dollar of taxable value and the rate or estimated effective rate, as applicable, in dollars for each one hundred thousand dollars of the county auditor's appraised value, as estimated by the county auditor, and that the taxing authority will proceed with the submission of the question of the tax to electors. The taxing authority shall certify this resolution or ordinance, a copy of the county auditor's certifications, and the resolution or ordinance the taxing authority adopted under division (B)(1) of this section to the proper county board of elections in the manner and within the time prescribed by the section of the Revised Code governing submission of the question. The county board of elections shall not submit the question of the tax to electors unless a copy of the county auditor's certification accompanies the resolutions or ordinances the taxing authority certifies to the board. Before requesting a taxing authority to submit a tax levy, any agency or authority authorized to make that request shall first request the certification from the county auditor provided under this section.

(4) This division is supplemental to, and not in derogation of, any similar requirement governing the certification by the county auditor of the tax valuation of a subdivision or necessary tax rates for the purposes of the submission of the question of a tax in excess of the ten-mill limitation, including sections 133.18 and 5705.195 of the Revised Code.

(C) All taxes levied on property shall be extended on the tax list and duplicate by the county auditor of the county in which the property is located, and shall be collected by the county treasurer of such county in the same manner and under the same laws and rules as are prescribed for the assessment and collection of county taxes. The proceeds of any tax levied by or for any subdivision when received by its fiscal officer shall be deposited in its treasury to the credit of the appropriate fund.

Last updated July 15, 2022 at 8:57 AM

Available Versions of this Section

• March 30, 2006 – House Bill 530 - 126th General Assembly
• September 29, 2017 – Amended by House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly
• March 23, 2018 – Amended by House Bill 69 - 132nd General Assembly
• March 27, 2020 – Amended by House Bill 197 - 133rd General Assembly
• September 13, 2022 – Amended by House Bill 140 - 134th General Assembly